Mountain Murders
by WildAngelSpirit
Summary: Detective Steve Borden (Sting) moves to a new town and a new job hoping for a new beginning. Soon after his arrival murders begin happening and Steve must solve the case while dealing with new people, a smart killer and a race against time before more are killed. Alternative Universe. Features wrestlers of past and present. Full list of warnings inside.
1. First Murder

_**Warnings- This story will contain violence, depictions of death, mature topics and character death. Later chapters will be rated M.**_

 _ **Disclaimer- I do not own the WWE figures in this story. I own only the original characters in this story and the bar 'Almost Heaven' featured in this story as well. This is a fictional story for entertainment only. No money is being made from this story.**_

 _ **Author's Note- This is my latest work that was inspired by several different things. It is set in West Virginia as I find it to be a beautiful but mysterious place. Again it is fiction so the real places mentioned in the story have been fictionalized a bit. I hope everyone enjoys and gives feedback!**_

June 3rd, 0730 Hours

It was early morning in Davis, WV. A small town in Tucker County that was mostly known for the Blackwater Falls State Park and the Canaan Valley State Resort Park. It was a scenic area in the Monongahela National Forest. The town was small but used to the tourists that came year round for hiking, biking, sightseeing and skiing.

Trinvilla 'Trina' Conley parked her white Jeep Wrangler outside the police station. Trina had grown up Tucker County and couldn't imagine herself living anywhere else. After attending college at WVU, she had returned to Tucker County and joined the small police force in Davis. Trina was thirty two years old with dark blonde hair, blue-grey eyes and was a bit self-conscious about being tall at five foot ten inches.

Trina walked into the station seeing the other officers already milling around the small station. Police chief Jerry Lawler waved at her from inside his small office. Lt. John Layfield was sitting at his desk chatting with Officer Seth Rollins.

"You still here? I figured you'd go home to get some sleep since you are on night shift." Trina smiled at him.

"Sleep? What's that?" Seth joked.

"Well I was about to make some of my coffee, that is guaranteed to keep you awake." She joked.

"Your coffee could bring someone out of a coma." Layfield laughed.

"Yet you keep drinking it." She chuckled. "Anything going on?"

"Nothing exciting. Had a fender bender last night outside of Almost Heaven…..some woman texting and not paying attention. I handled it." Seth said.

"Good, if things stay slow I need to get an ad in the paper. I am looking to hire someone to work on the barn." Trina said.

"You back to that?" Seth asked.

"I have been trying to get it done since I bought the farm two years ago. And despite big talk that jackass never got it done." Trina said. "You got any secret carpentry skills?"

"Me? I can't even put together stuff from Ikea." Seth laughed. "I am out before she ropes me into something."

As Seth walked out of the station, Trina went to make a pot of coffee. Layfield looked over Seth's report from the previous night. They had no one in the two cells in the basement. It looked as if it was going to be a pretty easy day…..looks can be deceiving.

"Trina, John….we got a call." Jerry walked into the room with them.

"What's up?" Trina turned towards him.

"A body has been found in Blackwater Falls Park. You two better get out there. I'll call Ziggler and have him meet you."

Trina and John quickly grabbed their things and headed out to the department SUV. John climbed in the driver's seat as Trina climbed in the passenger seat. She gave a small sigh knowing her slow day was now a thing of the past.

John drove them to the Blackwater Falls State Park. There weren't any tourists around yet but a construction road crew had already started their day as they were working on road throughout the park. The park would open to the public in a few hours.

"Wonder how long this construction will take?" John grumbled.

"Oh calm down, they just started last week." Trina chuckled.

"Rangers are flagging us down." John pointed out.

John pulled the SUV up to the ranger's station where two rangers were standing out front waiting for them. Trina immediately recognized them as Jake Roberts and Mick Foley. Both men had been rangers at the park for several years. John rolled down the window.

"Mornin' gentlemen." John said.

"John, Trina….glad you guys are here." Jake said. "I'm afraid Slater called in finding a dead body this morning. He stayed with it to keep away anyone or any animals that may happen along."

"Climb in, you can show us where to go." Trina said.

Mick and Jake both climbed into the back of the SUV. Mick directed them to drive towards Lindy Point. John drove a short distance and then parked the SUV when he saw Ranger Tommy Rich waiting for them on a 4 wheeler.

"We gotta walk from here." Foley said as he climbed out of the SUV.

The four of them climbed out of the SUV, John and Trina gathering their equipment as they exited.

"Heath is in the woods, off the trail about a quarter mile. Just a warning, the smell is horrible." Rich told them.

"Ziggler should be here soon. Make sure he knows where to go when he arrives." Trina told Rich.

"I'll wait here." Rich nodded.

The four others began walking up the path. Roberts spoke on the radio to Slater to guide them to the correct area when they left the path to move into the wooded area around the path. It wasn't hard to find, as Rich had warned them, the smell of decay was strong. As they walked up to where the body was, they could see Heath standing nearby with a handkerchief held over his mouth and nose.

Trina pulled a bandana out of her equipment bag and tied it around her face to help with the strong odor; it didn't help much but it was better than nothing. She noticed John trying to pull his shirt up over his nose and mouth.

They looked at the body and immediately noticed the head was missing.

"What the hell? There is no head." John stated.

"I was hoping this was a hiker died of a heart attack or something. Looks like a homicide." Trina said.

"Heath, what can you tell us?" John asked.

"I was making my rounds this morning and smelled something dead. That happens often and it turns out to be a dead animal. I decided to investigate, thought I would have to call our animal disposal crew…..found it was a human. I radioed in to the ranger station for Jake to call you guys." Heath said.

"Trina, start taking pictures. Mick, Jake, Heath…I need you guys to set up a 100 yard perimeter and keep everyone out while we investigate." John said. "Don't touch or disturb anything. We never know what might be evidence."

As the rangers moved to set up the perimeter as instructed, Trina took her camera out of her bag. Being a small town, they didn't have a CSI team but Lawler had his team trained and kept up to date on how to collect evidence and handle a crime scene. He refused to be one of those small town police departments that couldn't handle anything bigger than a traffic ticket. Trina carefully began moving around the corpse taking pictures.

"This is the first homicide in the area in years." John sighed.

"The body is pretty bloated, skin is marbled and blistering. This person has been dead at least a day of course with this heat, decomposition is tricky. Dolph will be able to tell us more." Trina said.

"You know the science end of a homicide investigation?" John asked as he searched the area for any evidence.

"I like to stay up to date and be well read. You know how old those country bumpkin cracks get." She said. "I also don't see any blood. My guess is this person was killed elsewhere and dumped here."

"From the clothing I would say it is a female." John said, indicating the dress and sandals the deceased was wearing.

"These days that isn't a guarantee. I will wait for Dolph to confirm it." She answered as she snapped off a few more photos. "The body is laid out, legs straight and arms by their side. I'd say they were carefully placed here."

"I got a backpack over here." John called out from a patch of weeds several feet away.

Trina carefully hurried over to where John was. There in the weeds was a small yellow backpack. She snapped off pictures of it from several angles. She looked up to see Dolph approaching them. Dolph Ziggler was the Tucker County coroner.

"Damn, what a way to start the month." Dolph sighed as he set down his kit.

"Rangers found the deceased this morning. Area has been secured." John said.

Dolph took a small jar of OdorScreen out of his kit and wiped some of it under his nose. He tossed the jar to Trina so she and John could do the same. Dolph pulled on some latex gloves as John and Trina put some OdorScreen under their noses.

Dolph approached the body. "Any signs of ID?"

"No, based on clothing it appears to be female but I didn't want to jump to any conclusions." Trina said.

"Deceased has their nails done…acrylic or gel or whatever you girls do these days." Dolph said as he carefully tied bags around the deceased hands so evidence would not be lost in transport. "I may be able to fingerprint them if the skin is not too loose."

"Any other tell-tale signs?" John asked.

"From a quick visual inspection, I would say that blood has been drained from the body, I don't see any signs of lividity. No blood in the area, I would say the deceased was dumped here after being killed elsewhere." Dolph said as he carefully bagged their feet.

"Got extra gloves and an evidence bag? We have a backpack here." Trina asked.

"Yeah in my kit. We can look through it at autopsy. I wanna get the body out of this heat and into a controlled environment. John help me with the body bag."

Trina moved to get the evidence bag and gloves as Dolph pulled out a body bag to place the deceased in. Trina looked at the deceased a moment as she pulled on her gloves.

"Guys, be extra careful with them. Whoever they are they deserve dignity and respect and right now we are all they have." Trina told them.

"Of course, we will." Dolph assured her.

Trina went to gather the backpack in the evidence bag as the men carefully placed the deceased in a body bag for transport to the county morgue.

1200 Hours

Trina arrived at the county morgue. After Ziggler had left the park with the deceased victim, she and John had spent the morning interviewing the rangers. The four rangers all reported that they had not seen anything out of the ordinary in the past few days. The rangers had double checked their reports from around the park and found nothing. They had then interviewed the employees around the park; everyone from the janitors to the grounds crew but no one had saw a thing.

John had gone back to the station to fill Lawler in on what they had found. Trina opted to go to the morgue and find out what Ziggler had found. She was shocked that such a brutal murder had taken place in Davis.

Trina walked into the morgue building and down the hall. She saw the autopsy room. She walked in, finding Dolph in his scrubs with a clear shield over his face as he inspected the body they had recovered that morning.

"What do you have for me?" Trina asked.

"Oh Trina, glad you are here. I got most of the autopsy finished. I have been working all morning." Dolph said.

"And?"

"And, I can tell you that the victim was indeed female. I would say she has been dead about 36 hours give or take a few hours. That heat made it impossible to get an exact time of death." Dolph said.

"Anything we can use to identify her?" Trina asked as she pulled on latex gloves.

"I was able to get good finger prints from a few of her fingers. I got a card for you." Dolph said. "She had no tattoos. I took x-rays of her skeleton but she didn't have any metal plates or joint replacements."

"Sexual assault?" Trina questioned.

"I ran a complete rape kit but found nothing. No semen in the vagina or on the pubic hair or the rectum. No foreign matter in her pubic hair. No vaginal tearing or rectal tearing." Dolph said.

There was a knock at the door. They both looked up and saw a man standing at the door. He had dark brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing khaki pants and a green polo shirt, a gun in a holster on his belt.

"Can I help you?" Dolph asked.

"I got a call a body had been brought here for autopsy. It was found in Blackwater Falls Park." The man said.

"And you are?" Trina raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I haven't met many people yet." He walked up to them. "I'm Steve Borden, the new county detective."

"The county has been looking to hire a new detective since Sammartino retired a few months ago." Trina said. "I'm Trina Conley, Davis police department."

"Dolph Ziggler, county coroner." Dolph said. "We'll have to shake hands later." He indicated their gloved hands. "I was just catching Trina up on our Jane Doe."

"Carry on, I want to work with the police departments, not just take over." Steve said.

"Our Jane Doe appears to be 18-21 years old based on her bone fusion." Dolph said. "It doesn't appear that she has ever had children. I ran a tox screen and found no sign of drugs or alcohol in her system." Dolph said.

"Could you find the cause of death?" Trina asked.

"Not yet. No sign of gunshot wounds or stab wounds. But I can tell you she was beheaded post-mortem." Dolph said. "I scraped under her nails but didn't find anything."

"Any rope burns or handcuff marks?" Steve asked.

"No which is a bit of a surprise." Dolph said.

"Did you find anything of interest in the backpack?" Trina asked.

"I have everything spread out on the table." Dolph led them to a small table on the other side of the room. "I am willing to bet this is her backpack."

Laying on the table in front of them was a complete change of clothes including underwear and bra. There was also a stick of deodorant and a hairbrush.

"No wallet?" Steve asked.

"No, no wallet, no money and no ID." Dolph sighed. "For now she will remain a Jane Doe."

"I will fax the fingerprints to Charleston, maybe we will get a hit from AFIS (Automated Fingerprint Identification System)." She said.

"I will finish the autopsy and let you know if I find anything else." Dolph said.

"Take good care of her. I know you are the best." She smiled.

"If we don't get a hit on her fingerprints, perhaps we can get a hit on her DNA." Steve said.

Trina walked back over to the body. Dolph knew Trina had a tender heart and felt bad this girl had been murdered and as of yet they couldn't identify her. Steve watched her, curious as to what she was doing.

Trina gently laid a gloved hand on the sheet covering the body. "I'll find where you belong."

Steve smiled a bit, realizing she had deep compassion for victims. Dolph walked over and wrapped an arm around Trina.

"We'll make sure she gets home. I am sure whoever loves her is frantic looking for her." Dolph said.

"It's weird, I never worked a murder before. I know I can't go getting all emotional….but"

"Just because you are a professional doesn't take away your compassion." Steve said. "It's natural."

"He's right. Every time I do an autopsy on a suicide or an OD or an unattended death…I feel emotions for the person even though I didn't know them." Dolph said.

"Thanks….I was afraid I was acting like a woman." She gave a small laugh. "I better get back to the station in Davis. I will fax her prints."

"I'll go with you. I wanna meet the rest of the Davis officers and get caught up." Steve said.

1400 Hours

Trina walked into the Davis Police Station with Detective Borden following behind her. She saw John sitting at his desk working. She looked through the large window of Jerry's office and motioned for him to come out to speak with them.

"Hey Trina, how did it go at the morgue?" John looked up as she laid some folders on her desk that was across from him.

"I'll get to that in a minute. This is Detective Steve Borden, the new county detective." She introduced. "Detective, this is Lt. John Layfield."

"Nice to meet you Detective." John stood to shake his hand.

"Likewise. I have only been in West Virginia a week, I am still trying to get settled." Steve smiled.

"How do you enjoy working for county Sheriff Flair?" John asked.

"He seems like a good man. I am sure we will get along just fine." Steve said.

"And this is Davis Police Chief Jerry Lawler." Trina said as Jerry walked up to them. "Jerry, this is the new county Detective Steve Borden."

"Welcome abroad. I am sure we will work fine together." Jerry shook his hand.

"Thank you, I am glad to be here." Steve said.

"Tell us about your background." Jerry questioned, wanting to get a feel for the new detective.

"Not much to tell. I worked for the LAPD, Venice Beach Division for the past 25 years. Worked my way up from beat cop to detective. Decided I wanted a change of scenery, started looking around and here I am." Steve shrugged.

"Wow, LAPD…and you ended up here?" Trina was surprised.

"Trina, what did you find out at the morgue?" Jerry asked, wanting to focus on the case. He did not like the fact a murder had been committed in his safe little town.

"The victim is a female, Jane Doe for now. No ID found on her or in the backpack and no identifying marks on her. Dolph gave me her fingerprints to fax to Charleston." Trina said. "Also, she has been dead for at least a day, decapitated post-mortem and there were no signs of rape. Dolph estimates she is 18-21 years old, white female, no tattoos or surgical scars. He also gave me an estimated weight and height."

"Trina, get those prints faxed. John start looking through missing persons reported in Tucker County in the past few days." Lawler said.

"Do you mind if I look at missing persons for the surrounding counties?" Steve asked.

"Not at all, glad you want to jump in. I'm gonna call the park again and see if they have had anyone inquiring about a missing female." Jerry said.

Everyone went to do what they were assigned. John logged onto the missing persons database to search the county, while Trina let Steve use her computer to search the surrounding counties. She then went to the fax machine to fax the Jane Doe's prints to the state capital.

1800 Hours

"I think it is safe to say that our Jane Doe has not been reported missing in Tucker County or any of our neighbors." John sighed. He and Steve had spent the past few hours searching the database and calling neighboring counties about anyone that resembled their Jane Doe.

"Do you think she was a street person?" Steve asked.

"We don't have many of those here…..a few but none that would fit her age description. And she appeared too healthy for that." Trina said.

"You guys take off. I'll stick around until Seth comes in for the night shift." Jerry told them.

"In that case, I got a beautiful lady waiting for me." John said as he gathered his things.

"Come on detective, I'll buy you a beer." Trina said. "John, see you in the morning."

"Have a good night." John smiled at her.

"We'll go to Almost Heaven, it's our local watering hole." Trina smiled. "It's just down the street. We can walk."

Trina gathered her things quickly and waved to Jerry as she walked out of the station. Steve walked quietly beside her down the street a bit and then they crossed the street. Steve saw a bar with a huge sign overhead that read 'Almost Heaven' with mountains behind the letters. They walked in finding a few patrons already in there and country music was playing from a jukebox in the corner.

"Hey Trina, wondered if you would be in tonight!" the bartender called out to her.

"Hi Randy. Send us a couple of beers." She waved to the bartender.

Trina and Steve sat down at a booth along the wall.

"You come here often?" Steve asked.

"We all do. That was Randy Orton. Randy owns the place and is very hands on in running the place. He is a good guy." She smiled.

"I guess I will have to get used to living and working in a place where everyone knows everyone." Steve said.

"So detective, what made you move to middle of nowhere West Virginia?" she asked.

"You can call me Steve…I have noticed that you guys are a little informal around here." He said.

"That's because we are all so close and kinda like unofficial family. And you can call me Trina."

"I noticed on your paperwork you sign it Trinvilla." He stated.

"That is my real name, but don't call me that. Trina is a nickname I picked up because my grandma said Trinvilla was too long to say and hated the name. And personally I think Trinvilla sounds like a disease instead of a name." she chuckled as Randy arrived with their beers.

"For my favorite female officer in Davis." Randy winked as he handed her a beer.

"I'm the only female officer in Davis." She chuckled as he handed Steve his beer. "Randy this is the new county detective Steve Borden."

"Nice to meet you." Randy shook his hand. "I gotta get back to the bar. Anything you guys need, let me know."

Randy walked back to the bar. A few more people were coming in the bar as many people stopped in after work.

"So Steve, you never told me how you ended up in West Virginia. We don't get too many out of state people coming to work out here." She said as she took a drink of her beer.

"Like I said earlier, I wanted a change….I needed to make a fresh start after I got a divorce. My sons are grown and supported me moving. I started looking around for a new job and when I found the opening here in Tucker county…..it seemed like a nice change. Living in the country is a welcome change after all those years in the city." He explained.

"I think you will like it here. You may get bored after all the excitement in the city. The murder we pulled today is the first in Davis in a very long time."

"I look forward to a slower pace." He said and took a drink of his beer. "How about you? How did you get here? You have a thick West Virginia accent, I am guessing you are from the area."

"I am from Tucker County. Grew up down the road a bit in the town of Hendricks. After college I came back here and was lucky enough to get hired with the Davis police. I don't wanna work anywhere else. I like it here…taking care of my own people." She said.

"You have family in the area?" Steve asked.

"I have a few cousins, aunts and uncles in the state. Daddy died young from working the coal mines….coal dust ruined his lungs. Mom died a few years after that….she pretty well grieved herself to death." Trina explained.

"I'm sorry. It is hard to lose both parents so young." Steve said. "You married?"

She frowned. "No, never have been."

He sensed that was a sensitive subject with her so he changed the topic. "What do people do for fun around here?"

"A lot of people do stuff in the parks; hiking, biking or skiing. The churches do a lot of community activities…socials, picnics etc." she said as she finished off her beer. "Where you staying?"

"I am renting a small place in Parsons, it is close to the sheriff's station." Steve said. "You live in Davis?"

"I got a small farm just outside of town." She answered. "I need to be getting home, but I enjoyed having a drink with you."

"I'll get the check." Steve said.

"Don't bother…..Randy has a policy that officers drink free on week nights." She smiled as she stood up. "He takes care of his people too."

"I'll call you tomorrow about the case." Steve said.

She nodded. "Have a good night."

 _ **Author's Note- A long introduction chapter I know but I couldn't find a good way to break it up. Hope I didn't overwhelm anyone. And please share feedback. Author's live for feedback on their work both good and bad. Author's work hard on their material and if you are enjoying it, let them know!**_


	2. Victim Identified

June 4th, 0730 Hours

Trina walked into the police station to get ready for the day. Jerry was on the phone but waved to her from his office. John was not in yet. Seth waved her over to him looking anxious. She hurried to his Seth's desk where he was sitting.

"This fax from Charleston just came in a few minutes ago. There was a hit in AFIS on the Jane Doe. She was in the system for an underage drinking charge last year." Seth handed her the fax sheet.

Trina looked over the sheet. "April Jeannette Lee, twenty years old…from Cumberland, Maryland."

"Her parents reported her missing when she failed to return home. I checked the missing person report. She had set out to hitchhike to a concert in Charleston; she never returned home." Seth explained.

"Has Jerry contacted her family?" Trina asked.

"No, I think it is better to give that type of news in person." Jerry walked up to them. "I want you to drive to Cumberland and speak with her family."

"Of course I will." Trina agreed.

"I called Borden, I think as the county detective he should be there too. He will go with you. When John comes in I will have him call Dolph so he can properly identify the body and begin the arrangements to turn her over to her family." Jerry said. "Borden will be here soon. You better get ready to go."

Trina nodded and began gathering the paperwork she would need to take with her.

"Trina, I don't know Borden very well. He seems like a good guy. But I know you, you're compassionate and sensitive…I know you will break the news in a gentle and professional way." Jerry told her.

"Thank you, I just have to figure out what to say." She nodded solemnly.

John walked in and Jerry quickly caught him up on the case as Trina gathered her things for the trip to Cumberland. She looked up and saw Steve walk into the station. He was dressed in black dress pants and a light grey button down shirt.

"You ready to go?" Steve asked her.

"Yes, you driving?" she asked.

"Sure, let's get going. It's a bit of a drive." He said.

0915 Hours

Steve pulled the car up in front of the house that the GPS had directed them to. Trina had got the address from the missing persons report. Jerry had told them he would handle contacting the Maryland authorities on finding April Lee murdered.

"Are you ready for this?" Steve asked her as he parked the car. "You been kind of quiet on the drive up here."

"I'm fine. Just running over things in my mind." She said.

"This is never easy." Steve said as he stepped out of the car.

Trina got out of the car as well and followed Steve up the sidewalk in front of the house. Steve rang the doorbell and they patiently waited for someone to answer the door. After a few moments the door opened and a middle-aged couple stood looking at them.

"Can I help you?" the man asked.

"Are you Mr. and Mrs. Lee?" Steve asked.

"Yes, is this about April?" Mrs. Lee asked.

"Yes, mam I am afraid it is. Can we come in?" Trina asked.

The Lee's stepped aside and let them into the house. Steve and Trina stepped inside and stood in a small foyer area.

"I'm Detective Borden, this is Officer Conley. We're from Tucker County, West Virginia." Steve introduced them.

"Oh my god, she's been arrested." Mrs. Lee said.

"No…..I am afraid we have bad news." Trina said. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but April was found dead in Blackwater Falls State Park."

Both the Lee's stood stunned for a moment. Then Mrs. Lee's eyes filled with tears. Her husband wrapped his arm around her.

"Are you sure?" Mr. Lee asked as he tried to comfort his wife.

"Yes, we have had fingerprint confirmation." Steve said. "I'm so sorry for your loss."

"What happened?" Mr. Lee asked.

"Maybe we should sit down. This is a lot to take in." Steve said.

"Come on in the living room." Mr. Lee said as he held his wife and walked with her into the next room. Steve and Trina followed them.

Mr. Lee sat down beside his wife, who was still crying against his shoulder. Steve and Trina sat on a small loveseat across from them.

"What happened to April? Was she in an accident?" Mr. Lee asked.

"No sir. I am sorry, there is no easy way to say this. She was found murdered in the park yesterday morning." Trina said.

"Yesterday? And we are just finding out today?" Mrs. Lee sat up and glared at them.

"Mam, she had no ID on her. During autopsy her fingerprints were taken and she was identified that way. It took us a little time to find out who she was." Steve gently explained.

"No ID? April took her ID with her. I saw her put her wallet in her backpack before she left." Mr. Lee said.

"You're sure she had her wallet?" Steve asked.

"Yes, I watched her pack it." Mr. Lee said.

"Her wallet was not with her when she was found. We have found her backpack." Trina said. "I know this is a difficult time, but we want to find out what happened to April. Could you tell us when she left home?"

"She left home May 27th. She was planning to hitchhike to Charleston for the Phish summer tour. We tried everything to talk her out of hitchhiking, but she insisted it would be an adventure. She was very head strong and stubborn." Mr. Lee said.

"The concert was the 29th…..she made it safely to Charleston, she called us from Charleston that night. She said she was gonna hitchhike back home." Mrs. Lee said.

"When she wasn't home by the 31st and hadn't called anymore, we started calling the police. We had to wait a few days before they would let us file a missing persons report. We kept hoping she would call or show up." Mr. Lee said.

"How was she killed? What did they do to her?" Mrs. Lee asked.

"Again, there is no easy way to say this…..we do not yet know how she was killed. But we do know she…..she was decapitated. I'm sorry but we have yet to find her head." Trina said.

"I can't hear anymore." Mrs. Lee stood up and left the room in tears.

"Mr. Lee….do you have any pictures of April we could have? Recent pictures so we can use them to show potential witnesses." Steve asked.

"Yes, I will find a couple for you." Mr. Lee stood up and walked into the next room.

"Steve, you get the pictures. I am going to check on Mrs. Lee." Trina stood up.

Trina followed the path through the house Mrs. Lee had taken earlier and found her in the kitchen. She was sitting at the table, crying into a dishtowel. Trina carefully walked in, not wanting to intrude on the grieving mother.

"Mrs. Lee, I am so sorry about all of this. I wish there was some way I could make this easy for you." Trina said.

"Who did this?" Mrs. Lee cried with her face still covered.

"We don't know yet. But I promise, we will do everything we can to find out." She said. "Is there anything I can do for you? Anyone you want me to call?"

"When can I have what is left of my baby back?" Mrs. Lee lowered the towel.

Trina laid the paperwork in her hand on the table. "This will tell you how to contact our county coroner and he will make the arrangements with the funeral home you chose." She said. "I know this isn't much comfort but our coroner has treated April with a lot of care and respect. We all wanted her to be given the dignity she deserved."

"Thank you…..it is very comforting to know she had caring people there for her when we couldn't be." Mrs. Lee cried. "I need to start making phone calls."

"I'll leave you to do that in private. We will be in touch as we learn anything about her case." Trina said and quietly left the room.

When she returned to the living room, Steve was standing with Mr. Lee looking at a few pictures Mr. Lee had given him.

"If there are no other questions, we will leave you to make the arrangements. I gave your wife the information she needs to have April's body brought home. Again, you have our deepest condolences." Trina said.

"We will be in touch." Steve said. "We'll see ourselves out. Go be with your wife now."

1200 Hours

Steve and Trina arrived back at the Davis Police Station. Steve had driven them back from Maryland. They had made small talk during the drive. Trina looked over the pictures of April Lee, thinking of the tragedy of a young life cut short.

"You're new to homicides." Steve stated as he parked the car. Trina looked at him.

"Am I doing something wrong?" she questioned.

"Wrong….no. You are being professional and compassionate. Just don't let it consume you. I have been there and I know it's hard." Steve said.

Trina nodded and exited the car. Steve got out as well and they both walked into the station. John was working at his desk. Jerry walked out of his office to greet them.

"How did it go?" Jerry asked.

"About as well as could be expected. Her parents took it hard." Trina sighed.

"Of course they would." John said.

"She had been hitchhiking to a concert in Charleston. Father said she didn't carry a cell phone so there is no way to track her path by towers a phone would ping off of." Steve said.

"The family gave us a few pictures of her. I was thinking we could have them published in the newspaper, see if anyone around the area saw her or can remember anything." Trina said.

"That is a great idea. Good thinking." Jerry said. "You wanna handle it?"

"Yeah, I'll walk down the street and talk with Mr. Heenan. He has a daughter, he will wanna help." Trina spoke of the local newspaper editor.

"That is good thinking." Steve nodded.

"I better get on it. Anything else going on?" Trina asked.

"Nothing exciting." Jerry said.

"I'll be back later." Trina said as she headed out with the pictures.

Steve watched her go then turned to John and Jerry. "Is she okay?"

"Trina? Trina is an excellent cop. I have watched her grow a lot as an officer the past eight years." Jerry says.

"She is very passionate about her job." John said.

"She ever get too involved in a case?" Steve asked.

John raised an eyebrow. "She takes every case seriously, but this is her first homicide case. She'll be alright." He said not wanting to say too much.

 _ **Author's Note:**_ _If you are reading this story (or any story posted on here) please take a few minutes to review. For every chapter that you enjoy, an author has spent time and effort working on it. If you don't enjoy a chapter, tell the author why in a mature manner as that will give the author areas to improve, expand on etc. Nothing is more frustrating to me than putting my all into a story and getting no reviews or feedback and I am sure other authors feel the same way._


	3. Investigation and Drinks

_**Author's Note-**_ _The characters of Joe and Nicola mentioned in this chapter are original characters not based on any wrestlers._

June 5th, 1000 Hours

Trina and John were at the Blackwater Falls State Park again. They had taken the pictures of April out to the park to show to the rangers and staff and see if anyone knew her or remembered seeing her. That morning the local newspaper had printed the pictures of April asking for anyone who had seen her or had information to come forward.

They stepped out of the SUV outside the lodge. Jerry had called and arranged for as many of the staff as possible to be on hand to be questioned at one time. Trina looked around and spotted the construction crew working on the road a bit from the lodge.

"John, I wanna talk with the construction crew. They are here all day through the week, maybe one of them saw something." Trina said.

"You wanna do that and I'll take the park staff?" John asked.

"Yeah that sounds good. You mind?" she asked.

"No, talking to the construction crew is a good idea." He said. "See you in a bit."

John walked towards the park lodge while Trina walked down towards where the construction crew was working. She could see that they were breaking up with old road with equipment so they could lay down new road. They had one lane closed off and were directing the traffic in the one open lane.

"Good morning gentlemen." Trina greeted them politely as she walked up on them.

"Officer….what's going on?" an African American man holding the stop/slow sign asked.

"I'm officer Conley. I am sure you heard we found a girl dead in the park earlier this week. Would you mind looking at a few pictures?" she asked.

"Sure, anything to help." He shrugged.

"And you are?" she asked as she jotted down a few notes on the small pad she took from her pocket.

"Ron Simmons." He answered.

"Is there a problem here?" Another of the men walked up to them.

"Glenn, this officer is investigating the dead girl they found. She wants us to look at a few pictures." Ron explained.

Glenn nodded. "Callous, Sheffield, Swagger get over here. Quick break!" Glenn yelled to the other men.

The other men looked up, seeing Glenn waving them over they left their equipment and walked over to where Trina was standing with Ron and Glenn.

"Good morning gentlemen, this won't take long." She said. "I am investigating the woman found dead in the park a few days ago. I want you guys to look at these photos and tell me if any of you saw her in the park or around town maybe. Take as much time as you need to look." She said as she handed them the pictures to look at.

"What happened to her?" Glenn asked.

"The investigation is ongoing, all I can say is she was found deceased." Trina answered.

"I never saw her before. I would remember if I did, she is cute." Sheffield said.

"I have never seen her either. Shame such a thing happened." Callous said.

"How about the rest of you gentlemen?" Trina asked, writing down all their names.

"She doesn't look familiar. Of course I don't pay much attention to people as they come and go while I am at work." Ron said.

"No, sorry. I haven't seen her either." Glenn said.

"Any of you see a girl that maybe resembled her hitchhiking recently?" Trina asked.

"No, I don't pay attention to hitchhikers, that is a sure fire way to get in trouble." Swagger said.

"Not her, but I had a girl on a bike try to talk me into 'partying' the other night when I stopped for gas." Sheffield said.

"That was one of our local ladies. I know who you mean." Trina shook her head. "Okay gentlemen, I just need to get down your names and then you can get back to work. I will leave a few cards with the police department info on them. If you think of anything else, call the station."

Trina finished getting their information and the men returned to work. She walked back down the road a short distance to the lodge where John was walking down the path towards the SUV.

"Get anything from the construction crew?" John asked.

"No, but apparently our hookers on bikes have been up to their usual tricks….pun intended." Trina said. "How about the rangers and park staff?"

"No, none of them had seen her." John said. "I am starting to wonder if she was even in the park alive."

"Maybe, maybe not. We gotta keep all possibilities open right now." She answered as he unlocked the SUV. "Let's get back to the station."

1400 Hours

John and Trina walked back into the station. She was startled to see Seth sitting at his desk. She chuckled and gave him a hug.

"What was that for?" Seth chuckled.

"You're just so adorable the way you come in when it's not even your shift." She smiled and sat down at her desk across from him.

"I'm always adorable. I put your mail on your desk." Seth said. "How did it go at the park?"

"John is talking to Jerry about it now. We didn't find out anything new. No one said anything about seeing her." Trina said as she began sorting through her mail. "Any calls based on the newspaper story?"

"No, I was hoping someone saw her. At least that would tell us where she had been." Seth said.

"Well she could've been picked up anywhere between Charleston and Maryland and with the park being a tourist attraction her killer could've thrown her out on his way to…." She trailed off.

Seth looked up to see her staring at some of her mail, her face full of emotions. She had gone quiet.

"Trina…Trina….are you okay?" Seth asked.

"What? Oh…fine." She hurriedly grabbed a few pieces of mail and threw them in the garbage. She stood up. "I am going to take a shower."

Before Seth could say anything else, she hurried away from her desk and to the back of the station where the small locker room/showers were. Seth sighed, he'd worried she would be upset.

John walks out of Jerry's office and goes to his desk near Seth's and Trina's. As he sat down he looked around. "Where is Trina?"

"She went to take a shower." Seth said.

"In the middle of the day?" John was surprised.

"You know her, when she is upset and wants to be alone she takes a shower." Seth said.

"What happened?" John asked, knowing that something must have happened to upset her.

"She was looking through her mail I left on her desk. When I sorted the mail I saw some wedding catalogs among her mail." Seth said.

"Awww hell. Why is it every time she seems to be healing something pops up and tears the wound open again?" John sighed. "Next time, throw them out before she sees them."

"You know, one of these days I am gonna knock out his teeth." Seth sighed.

"Get in line behind me." John said.

1900 Hours

Steve Borden walked in the front door of Almost Heaven. He had stopped by hoping to catch Trina to talk about the case. Randy nodded to him as he walked by the bar. He looked over and saw Seth, John and Jerry sitting at around a table together. John and Jerry were drinking beer while Seth just had a soda. He noticed Trina standing down by the jukebox that was playing more country music. She was dressed in civilian clothes; jeans and a blue tank top and her hair in a ponytail. Several patrons were dancing on the small dancefloor.

"Borden!" Jerry called out to him and waved him over to their table.

Steve walked over to them and sat down in the empty seat at the table. "Evening gentlemen."

"Steve, what brings you here?" John asked.

"I stopped by hoping to see Trina. What brings you guys in here?" Steve smiled as Jerry motioned for Randy to bring Steve a beer.

"Just having a beer and relaxing." Jerry said. "Except for Seth, he is on duty so he is just having a soda."

"What do you need to see Trina about?" Seth asked.

"Well she has been working on the case, I was wondering if she would be willing to look through the local sex offender registry with me. See if we can find any similarities…maybe someone who has moved from assault to murder." Steve said as Randy brought his beer.

"I would leave Trina alone tonight. But I am sure if you come by the station tomorrow she would be more than happy to go over local offenders with you." John said.

Steve was a bit confused but decided not to press the issue. He looked over and saw Trina still standing by the jukebox with a drink in her hand.

"I need to get back to the station." Seth said. "I don't like having the phone forwarded to my cell phone for too long."

"See ya in the morning." John said as Seth stood up. Seth nodded and walked out of the bar.

"So Steve, how did you get in law enforcement?" Jerry asked.

"Oh…well I was young bouncing around from job to job….but then I wanted to get married….had to be able to support my wife….decided to go to the police academy…found I loved it and the rest is history as they say." Steve said drinking his beer.

"How does your wife like West Virginia?" John asked as he looked over to where Trina was dancing with a few of the ladies, drink still in her hand.

"We're now divorced. It is part of why I moved here." Steve said. He glanced over and saw that Trina wasn't smiling much despite dancing.

"I am sure this is a big change from the LAPD." Jerry said.

"A welcome change believe me." Steve said.

The men sat chatting a while longer, getting to know each other and swapping stories of police work. Steve was impressed that Jerry kept his small police unit so well trained and up to date. Steve also noticed that both John and Jerry kept an eye on Trina as she danced a little, had a few more drinks and mostly stayed near the jukebox choosing various songs.

"What is going on with her?" Steve finally asked. "I don't mean to pry but she looks gloomy about something and has been staying to herself. And you two keep watching her. Is she okay?"

"Trina is a good cop and a good woman. She has a big heart and has a lot of great qualities. But she hasn't had much luck in her personal life." Jerry said. "And she was left heartbroken a few months ago. Right now she just needs to be alone."

"What happened?" Steve asked, watching as Randy handed Trina another drink by the jukebox.

"Last year Trina started dating one of the local mechanics, Joe; he runs a place here in town. Things were going great, they were really happy and she truly fell in love with him. They had started talking about getting engaged." John explained.

"Then a woman shows up, Nicola…..local girl who still lives with her mother on the outskirts of town. Nicola has a baby boy about seven months old and claimed it was Joe's son." Jerry said.

"Stupid bitch 'claimed' she didn't know how to get in touch with Joe to tell him she was pregnant or that she had a baby. Dumbest ass excuse ever because everyone in town knows Joe's garage." John said and Steve could tell John was truly disgusted with the actions of this woman.

"Personally, I think the woman just wanted a baby and used Joe as a free sperm donor. Then when she found out about Joe and Trina she got jealous and decided to come forward with that baby." Jerry said. "Joe admitted he had briefly dated Nicola."

"Trina was devastated, but being a good woman and being truly in love with him….she stood by him when the paternity test revealed he was the baby's father. They did one of those home tests because that jackass refused to go to court." John said. "We all knew this was a bad situation but held our tongues."

Jerry glanced over to where Trina was still standing at the jukebox and saw she was singing along with whatever was playing. "But Joe told Trina this didn't change how he felt about her, and that he wanted to marry her. So they started making wedding plans…but then things got weird." Jerry said.

"Weird how?" Steve asked.

"Joe kept putting things off. He kept putting off buying her engagement ring even though she picked out a nice ring that was reasonably priced. And he refused to accept a loan to buy them a house together even though they were approved for several." John said. "And the dipshit kept saying he didn't want to live at Trina's farm even though it is a very nice place."

"We immediately began to suspect that Joe was just putting off marrying her for whatever reason." Jerry said.

"I began to suspect Joe was sneaking around with Nicola. Nicola kept saying she wanted Joe to get to know the baby without Trina involved. When Joe told Nicola in front of Trina that he was marrying her, Nicola did not take it well. I suspect the dumbass was sneaking around with Nicola so she wouldn't take his ass to court for child support despite the fact that Trina was begging him to go to court and get everything in legal writing. Trina wanted to get child support and custody visits in writing so that Nicola couldn't pull any stunts but Joe refused." John said and Steve could then tell John had no liking for this Joe guy.

"Well Joe's refusal to get her ring, buy a house he was insisting on and the business with Nicola all began to wear on Trina. They were fighting a lot and we were all hoping Trina would get fed up and leave him. But she loved him and kept that hope that things would get better." Jerry said.

"One day around Christmas, Trina came into the station and announced she had finally broken things off with Joe. Apparently they got in a fight and he went bat shit crazy and smacked her. Didn't leave any bruises and she immediately left and never looked back. Thank God she is smart enough to know one time is never the only time." John said.

"He hit her? A woman he was supposedly in love with?" Steve said. "I don't know why I am surprised, I have seen it before."

"I think he was wanting to break up and that is why he kept putting things off and picking fights with her. When that didn't work he went to violence." Jerry said. "We begged her to press charges but she refused, saying she just wanted to move on."

"She doesn't know it…and this does not leave this table. But I made a point to confront Joe. I won't go into details but I let him know that West Virginia is full of abandoned coal mines where a body would never be found." John said and calmly took a drink of his beer. Steve realized how much John and Jerry cared about Trina and found himself feeling sympathy for what she had been through.

"I am glad she is away from him." Steve said.

"So are we, believe me. She still has some hurt from it all and has bad days. And it left her with trust issues. And Nicola has been hanging around the garage so it seems she and Joe are together." Jerry said. "I am gonna take her home. I don't want her getting drunk or anything."

Jerry got up and walked over to the jukebox where Trina was standing. She gave him a small smile and whatever he said to her she didn't complain and walked with him back over to the table. She waved to Steve and then hugged John. John kissed her cheek and then she left with Jerry. Steve watched this thinking it was nice to see the small police department taking care of each other.

"It just pisses me off that anyone could treat a good woman that way. Some men just don't realize what a good thing they have." John said as he finished off his beer. "That asshole ruined the best thing that ever happened to him."

"I just don't understand going back to Nicola….she had already proven that she couldn't be trusted. I mean hiding a kid from him." Steve finished off his beer as well.

"Preaching to the choir." John said. "And since Trina left his ass….the police department and all our families have been boycotting Joe's garage. We go elsewhere…even for service to the police cars."

Steve stood up. "It was nice chatting with you guys. I will be in the station tomorrow morning."

"See you then." John said as Steve walked out of the bar into the cool evening air.

 _Song Inspiration for this chapter- 'Straight Tequila Night' by John Anderson_

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _A HUGE thank you for all the feedback on the last chapter and people adding story alerts. It was a great motivation to write more and gave me some areas to improve. I know this chapter was a lot of backstory and introduced a few more people but I promise it is all vital to the story. Keep the feedback coming. Special thanks to Jcott3, cdajr, Batistasprincess, Paisley2, carlyrosanna83 for all the feedback._

 ** _Author's Note:_** __ _If you are reading this story (or any story posted on here) please take a few minutes to review. For every chapter that you enjoy, an author has spent time and effort working on it. If you don't enjoy a chapter, tell the author why in a mature manner as that will give the author areas to improve, expand on etc. Nothing is more frustrating to me than putting my all into a story and getting no reviews or feedback and I am sure other authors feel the same way._


	4. Second Victim

June 6th, 0900 Hours

Steve walked into the Davis Police Station. He was glad to see that Trina seemed in better spirits as she was laughing along with John Layfield about something. Jerry waved to him from in his office where he was talking on the phone. Steve walked over to where Trina and John were each sitting at their desks.

"Good morning." Steve greeted them.

"Good morning. John told me you would be by to look at the registered sex offenders in the county." She smiled at him.

"Yeah. I mean I know I could look through them on my own, but I don't know the people like you do and figured your insights would come in handy." Steve said.

"Would you like a cup of coffee? I just brewed a pot." Trina said.

"Just a warning. Trina's coffee is so strong it could last three rounds with Jack Dempsey." John chuckled.

"I like a strong coffee." Trina protested.

"Your coffee could arm wrestle." John laughed.

"I am okay for now, but apparently I will have to try this coffee someday." Steve chuckled.

"Then I guess we can get started." Trina said as she pointed to an empty chair beside her desk. "There are 20 registered sex offenders in Tucker County. 18 are residents of the county. And two are registered with the county because they work here but are a resident of another county. All twenty offenders are males."

"Very thorough. Any stand out?" Steve asked as she began handing him files.

"Out of those twenty offenders, only three committed offenses against adults. The rest are registered for crimes against minors." Trina said. "And of those three, all of them assaulted a family member or friend. None of them attacked a stranger."

"I am impressed." Steve was impressed with how well she knew the cases in her county.

"Since none of the local offenders fit a profile of attacking and murdering a stranger, I thought we should expand and look at the offenders in surrounding counties." She said.

"Great instincts. Let's take a look." Steve said, opening a few folders. "Anyone call regarding the newspaper story on April?"

"Unfortunately no." John said.

"This type of crime doesn't happen here. Part of me wonders if maybe this was done by a trucker, just passing through." She sighed.

"It's possible. Heaven knows we get a lot of those around here between the coal trucks and the timber trucks." John said.

As Steve and Trina sat digging through the files and looking on the computer at the sex offenders of neighboring counties, John worked on the daily reports. They chatted as they worked and John found that Steve was a good part of the team.

"What about unsolved murders in the area? Do you have any?" Steve asked.

"No, like I have said…this is the first murder in Davis in years. Usually we handle cases of vandalism, home burglaries and just keeping an eye on the registered sex offenders." Trina said.

"This is a very safe area. I don't even worry about my wife being home alone when I pull a nightshift." Layfield said.

While they were working, Steve glanced down and noticed the wedding catalogs in the garbage can that Trina had thrown away. He realized that must've been why she was upset the previous night. He felt sympathy for her, knowing how much it hurt when a relationship fell apart. He didn't mention to her about the catalogs.

"I don't think we are gonna find anything useful here." Steve said. "This case is going to be very difficult."

"You may be right." Trina agreed.

June 13th, 1200 Hours

"I mean it, if I were a lesbian I still wouldn't go for Taylor Swift. She just isn't that attractive." Trina laughed as she sat in the break room with Seth eating lunch.

"If you were a lesbian I would marry you and your girlfriend." Seth winked.

"Ugh you are so crazy." She laughed more.

"Apparently I walked in on the wrong part of the conversation. Trina is a lesbian and Seth is proposing." Layfield chuckled as he walked in to join them for lunch.

"Like you wouldn't marry her if you were single." Seth said.

"Oh great…there is no safe way I can respond to that." John rolled his eyes but smiled.

"Seth is just upset that he can't convince me that Taylor Swift is pretty. And while we are on the subject, I don't believe she is a virgin either." Trina said. "Or maybe she is and that is why she has so many boyfriends…she can't find one willing to wait."

Jerry walked in. "Trina, John….Borden just called. A decapitated girl has been found along the Cheat River. Borden wants Davis Police on it with him since it looks similar to the April Lee case."

"Where was she found?" Trina asked, already getting up.

"Just outside of Parsons, heavily wooded area." Jerry sighed. "He'll meet you there and Dolph has been called."

John and Trina both hurried to gather their things and hurried out of the police station. They climbed in the city SUV and John pointed the SUV towards Parsons.

1230 Hours

Trina and John made their way through the woods towards where Steve had told them the body was found. Steve was already at the site and had given Trina directions where to go over the phone. It was a heavily wooded area and both were being cautious of rattlesnakes.

They finally arrived at the riverbank and could see Steve directing one of the Parsons officers in taking pictures of the body. Trina and John both gagged at the smell of decay. The body was headless and lying on its back; legs and arms straight.

"Trina, John….thanks for coming." Steve said as he saw them walk up.

"Thank you for including us." John said.

"Well this is seems to be connected to the April Lee case. And Flair was very receptive to having you guys work with me." Steve said, holding a handkerchief over his mouth and nose.

"What do we have?" Trina asked as she pulled on a pair of rubber gloves she had brought with her.

"A couple of kids called it in. They had walked down here to go fishing and found more than they bargained for. I already talked to them and called their parents, they check out." Steve said.

Trina tied her bandana around her nose and mouth and walked up closer to the body. She looked it over, seeing what she could observe. There were flies swarming around. The corpse was wearing jeans and a t-shirt.

"Body appears to be female based on clothing and shape, but again I will wait for confirmation. We have a huge presence of flies and ants on and around the body. I see some larvae activity…I would say the body has been here at least two days." Trina called out to the others.

"She is just full of surprises." Steve was impressed.

"You have no idea." John gave a small smile.

"We got a purse here!" one of the officers from the Parsons PD called out.

Steve went to see what they had as Dolph approached with his kit. Dolph immediately pulled out the OdorScreen and wiped some under his nose. He tossed it to Trina as John walked over with Steve to check out the purse.

"Damn, someone has very little respect for human life." Dolph pulled on his gloves.

"Borden is thinking we have a pattern killer, it may be just a copycat killer. But either one in Tucker County?" she asked.

"Times are changing." Dolph sighed. He approached the body and began a quick cursory exam. "Appears female, and I would estimate they have been dead 48 hours. Body still shows some signs of rigor mortis but this heat makes it difficult to tell for sure."

Steve and John walked back over to where they were standing.

"Found a purse. Possibly belongs to the victim. No ID inside, just the usual items. Tissues, lip gloss, a compact etc." Steve said.

"Any sign of a head?" Dolph asked.

"No, I had the boys set up a 100 yard perimeter." Steve said.

"No signs of blood here. This was a dump job." Dolph said. "I want to get the body back to the morgue."

Steve nodded. "Seeing a lot of similarities to the April Lee case."

1400 Hours

Steve asked Trina to go to the autopsy with him. He was very impressed that a small town cop was so knowledgeable and appreciated her dedication. They walked into the morgue together and saw Dolph pulling the sheet back over the body recovered from along the Cheat River.

"Tell us you have something for us." Trina said to Dolph.

"Nothing that great sadly. I can tell you that the victim is indeed female. No ID yet so she is labeled Jane Doe. She has been dead approximately 52 hours…but again the heat is making a positive time of death difficult." Dolph said.

"What can you tell us about her?" Steve asked.

"Well no signs of rape. No signs of semen in or on the body. She is about 20-24 years old. No signs of ever having children. No tattoos or surgical scars. But enough of the neck was left behind this time that I can tell you she was strangled. She had ligature marks around her neck." Dolph said. "Body was drained of blood again. She was killed somewhere and then dumped by the river. Also, decapitation was post-mortem."

"What about the decapitation? Any ideas what was used to do the cutting?" Steve asked.

"I would say the killer doesn't have much knowledge of anatomy. The cuts on this body and April Lee were crudely done. I would say the killer is using a large blade; hunting knife, or machete." Dolph said. "Also, tox screening showed no drugs in her system and very low alcohol level. I'm guessing she had one beer close to her time of death."

"We don't know for sure they were killed by the same person. It could be a copycat." Trina said.

"It could be the same guy. A lot of similarities. Both females, found decapitated with blood drained out, no ID on either but both had bags with them." Steve pointed out.

"Any evidence under her nails?" Trina asked.

"I scraped under her nails, nothing there. I managed to get her fingerprints." Dolph said. "I also cleaned up her as best as I could considering how decayed she was. I know how much you care about giving the victim dignity." Dolph gave her a small smile.

"Thank you. Right now we are all she has." Trina said.

Steve smiled at her compassion, realizing that she was the type of officer who would never brush aside a victim as one of the 'less dead' as some cops did.

"We better get those prints faxed to Charleston." Steve said.

"Yeah and Jerry will be anxious for an update." Trina said.

"Ziggler, good work. Call one of us if anything new develops." Steve said. "Trina, let's head to Davis."

1500 Hours

Steve and Trina walked into the station at Davis. Seth was seated at his desk working. John was in Jerry's office talking with him but they both walked out when they saw that the others were back from the morgue.

"Any good news?" Jerry asked.

"No. No ID on the victim, nothing about her stands out to help us ID her." Trina said. "Got her prints to fax to Charleston."

"What do you think?" Jerry asked the two.

"This victim shows strong signs of being connected to the April Lee case. It could be a copycat but I would be surprised if a copycat killer could commit a murder this identical to April's murder." Steve said.

"I am gonna call some of my contacts around the state. Maybe some of them have an assault that was similar with a surviving victim. If nothing else it might give me a fresh perspective." Jerry said.

"I'll make sure to fax the prints." Trina said and headed to her desk as Jerry went in his office to make some calls.

John sat down at his desk as Trina sat down at hers. Seth looked up from what he was typing as Steve sat down in an empty chair.

"I don't like this. Two dead women in Tucker County in less than two weeks." John said. "Trina, I want you to be extra careful. You live alone and drive alone."

Trina gave a small smile. "I can take care of myself. But I appreciate your concern."

"We need to make a break of some kind in this case. Right now we don't even have a suspect." Steve said.

"Look, it's been a long day and we're all drained. Tomorrow is my day off. Why don't you come over for dinner and we can discuss the case after having had some time to unwind a bit." She offered to Steve.

"Can you cook?" Steve asked.

"Are you kidding? I would marry her for her cooking alone!" Seth chuckled.

"I am not marrying a man that wants me to be a lesbian with Taylor Swift!" Trina jabbed at Seth.

"You make me one of those baked hams with that pineapple glaze you're so good at and I will forget all about Taylor Swift." Seth winked.

"What are you two talking about?" Steve was confused.

"Oh you get used to these two." John chuckled.

"Well a nice home cooked meal sounds nice. You sure it's no trouble?" Steve asked.

"Not at all. I enjoy cooking. And it will give us time to relax and maybe get a new view of the two cases." She said.

"Okay, I'll be there." Steve said.

"I better get these prints faxed." She said. "Be right back."

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _Reviews help me write faster. They are a great inspiration and motivator in several ways. Thanks to Batistasprincess, Paisley2 (and yes Seth is on the level) and Cinnamon Muffin Punk for the feedback._


	5. Dinner With Steve

June 14th, 1900 Hours

Steve drove down the long driveway that led from the road to Trina's house. She had given him directions how to get to her place. She lived on a small farm outside of Davis. Steve could see a two-story farmhouse as he drove up the driveway. He spotted Trina's Jeep Wrangler parked at the end of the driveway. As he parked his Silverado behind her Jeep and climbed out, he saw Trina walk out of the house. She was wearing denim shorts and blue tank top. She was wearing her dark blonde hair down around her shoulders.

"Glad you found the place." She smiled as a dog barked next to her. She snapped her fingers and the dog stopped barking but remained on alert at a stranger at the house.

"Nice place here." Steve said looking around. He could see a barn in the distance next to a vegetable garden. A few cats scampered around, not liking the stranger.

"Thank you. I love it out here." She smiled as he walked up on the porch. Her dog stood up but remained by her side. She had never seen Steve in jeans before and smiled at how casual it made him look.

"Pretty dog, what he is?" Steve asked looking at the large cream colored dog that was clearly guarding her.

"This is Jack….and he is a coydog." She gently patted his head. "He's very protective, just approach him slow until he knows you're not a threat."

"A what?" Steve slowly let the animal smell his hand.

"A coydog….a hybrid between a domestic dog and coyote. That sometimes happens around here when a coyote comes in and mates with a domestic dog. I've had him five years, he is a great companion." She smiled as Jack allowed Steve to pat his head.

"I never saw such a thing."

"I found him abandoned as a pup. I dunno why, but someone had left him along the road. I found him driving home one night. Took him to the vet and he's been with me ever since." She explained.

"And he gets along with the cats I saw running around?" Steve asked.

"Oh yeah, I raised him with cats. He is actually protective of them. I keep cats around to keep away the mice and snakes. Jack keeps most predators away. I have seen him chase off coyotes that came in after my cats." She smiled. "Come on in, dinner is about ready."

Steve followed her in the front door of the farmhouse, noticing she was barefoot. Jack followed close behind her into the house. Inside, they stepped into a large living room with a couch, two recliners and a large TV hanging on the wall. He could see a stereo in the corner and a large bookshelf full of CDs.

"Make yourself at home while I finish in the kitchen." She smiled.

He nodded as she walked into the next room. Steve saw a staircase that led to the second floor. He wandered over to look at the CDs and chuckled when he realized they were country music from every decade.

"Quite the music collection!" he called out to her.

"I have loved country music since I was born. Mom used to say that when I was a kid, I could be having a tantrum…screaming and yelling but if she turned on the TV and music was playing, I would immediately quiet down." She called back.

Steve chuckled again and looked at a few of the pictures hanging on the wall. He saw one of a younger Trina standing between what appeared to be her parents. There was another of Trina with the other Davis officers at what looked to be a Christmas party.

"Dinner is ready." Trina popped her head around the corner. "I hope you like fried chicken."

"Sounds good to me." He followed her into the kitchen. He could see a small kitchen table against the wall.

The kitchen was well kept with the usual appliances. The back door was open allowing some fresh air into the kitchen. On the table Steve could see a platter of fried chicken, a bowl of fresh coleslaw and a large tossed salad. They both took their seats.

"This looks good. Your mom teach you how to cook?" Steve asked as they both began filling their plates.

"Yes, she was insistent that her daughter would know how to cook at home, feed her family and not be one of these people that lives on take-out and microwavable food." She smiled.

"Sounds like a smart lady." Steve used the tongs to get himself some salad.

"I hope the salad is okay. I can't use any banana peppers, I am allergic." She said.

"No, this is fine. I really appreciate the invite." Steve said.

"Well, I am glad to have the company. And I guess being a single guy with a busy job you don't get many home cooked meals." She said.

"What did you do on your day off?" Steve asked as he bit into his chicken.

"I slept in, ran a few errands. I went to the cemetery. Wanted to be sure I decorated dad's grave for Father's Day." She said.

Steve smiled. "That is a wonderful thing. It's so sad when you see a grave with no decorations and it looks abandoned."

"Any news on our Jane Doe?" Trina asked.

"Charleston got back to us, said there was no hit on her prints. She is not in the system." Steve said. "But that can wait until later. Tell me about your parents."

"My parents?" she looked up.

"You don't have kids. I have met your pet….and he still is watching me close." Steve gestured to where Jack laid on the floor watching them. "And I have met your friends at work. Tell me about your folks."

"Not much to tell I guess. Around here they were the usual couple…..blue collar, church going. My dad worked the coal mines since he got out of high school. Mom was a stay at home wife and mother. They were completely dedicated to each other. It was a second marriage for both. Dad's first wife was unfaithful and he left her. Mom's first husband died young of a heart attack. My parents met at church, dated briefly and got married real fast." Trina said.

"A when you find the one you know it kind of thing?" Steve asked.

"That and mom was pregnant." Trina winked. "What about your kids?"

"I got two boys. Both good boys. It's been a bit of an adjustment being away from them." Steve said. "Of course they are grown and very independent. I am proud of both of them."

"How are you enjoying West Virginia?" she chuckled as she grabbed a second piece of chicken.

"It is very different from where I lived in California. Everyone knows everyone, people are friendlier. When I was in Venice Beach, everything you could imagine was within a few minutes' drive. Here everything is a bit away and you gotta make your shopping trips count." Steve said, making Trina laugh.

2000 Hours

Steve and Trina had finished dinner and were enjoying a cup of coffee after dinner while sitting at the kitchen table. Jack was still watching from his spot on the floor but as long as Trina was relaxed, he was as well.

"So you really think that we have a serial killer on our hands?" Trina asked.

"You are nearly obsessed with this case." Steve shook his head. "But I do think the same guy killed both girls."

"If the second girl is identified maybe we will find something new. There may be a connection between the girls." She said.

"Possibly. I know you want to keep an open mind about a copycat…but too many details are similar." Steve said.

"If this is a serial killer…they are killing too fast to be new to killing. They seem to have a clear MO and are comfortable with what they are doing. That is the mark of an experienced killer." Trina said. "And both girls have been found in Tucker County….it is the killer's comfort zone. They are either from the area or familiar enough with it to feel comfortable here."

Steve sat back and regarded her a moment. "How are you so familiar with profiling?"

She chuckled. "Just because I am a small town country girl doesn't mean I am not well educated and well read."

"I am glad you shatter that stereotype." He smiled, thinking she was very smart and full of spunk. "Do you have any old unsolved disappearances in the area? Ones that could possibly be victims that have not yet been found?" he asked as she poured him a second cup of coffee. He added a lot of creamer because she indeed made strong coffee.

"There aren't any in Tucker County. Maybe we should look into new people that have moved to the area. There isn't much to go on right now but I can't stand just sitting back and waiting for another murder to happen." She said.

"You are full of energy, smart, well-educated and know how to handle crime scenes and know some on profiling…what are you doing in a small town police department? You could get a job in a bigger department somewhere." Steve told her.

"This is my home. This is where I belong. I have no desire to leave for a bigger place." She insisted.

"I will help you look into anyone who is new in the county." Steve said.

"Seth and John will help us as well." She says. "Well since you are worried I am getting obsessed with the case, how about we forget it for a while? Would you like a quick tour of the farm?" she smiled.

"Sounds nice." He agreed and stood up.

She hurried and pulled on a pair of flip flops. Jack walked with her as she and Steve went out the back door and down the few steps. A couple of the cats ran around their feet as they walked.

"How many cats do you have?" Steve chuckled.

"I have eight right now. They stay in and around the barn." She said. "I adopt all the strays that come around. I just don't have the heart to take them to a shelter where they will be euthanized."

Steve smiled, seeing now what Dolph had meant when he said Trina had a tender heart. They arrived at a small barn. She opened the doors and led them inside.

"This is the barn. I store my four-wheeler in here. I have been wanting to get the roof fixed up so I can buy a horse…maybe some chickens. But haven't been able to get it done." She said.

"What's wrong with the roof?" he asked as they walked through. He saw a couple of the cats and saw her four-wheeler covered with a tarp.

"The roof leaks. My jackass ex was no good at fixing things around the house." She sighed. "The fence is in good shape, so I just need to get the roof fixed."

She led them out of the barn and over to the garden. Steve could see several rows of various things growing.

"This is my vegetable garden. I raise one every year. I love having fresh stuff out of the garden to eat. I also freeze a bunch of stuff for the winter, and I put up preserves too." She explained as they walked the edge of the garden.

"That is nice. I go to the farmer's market to get fresh fruits and vegetables. I never tried growing my own." He smiled, wondering what other surprises about her he would learn.

"I go berry picking a lot too. We have bramble berries around here." She smiled.

"Tell you what, I'll fix up the barn for you." Steve said.

She looked at him surprised. "Why?"

"You have a nice place here and I'd like to help you get the barn fixed." He shrugged.

"I'll pay you. I'd be happy to pay you for your work." She was excited at the thought of finally getting her barn fixed.

"No, it's on the house. I just wanna help a friend out." He shrugged.

"Thank you." She suddenly hugged him. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate it."

He was a bit startled but hugged her back. "It's no big deal. Glad to help."

 _ **Author's Note 1-**_ _In reality Steve Borden has a daughter as well. For the purposes of this story I have chosen not to include her._

 _ **Author's Note 2-**_ _Can't thank everyone enough for the reviews, I love them and they are such an inspiration. They have me working on this story with a whole new excitement. Big thank you to Batistasprincess, carlyrosanna83, Paisley2 (clues are a bit slow at this point but will pick up as the story progresses but a few have been sprinkled), and Cinnamon Muffin Punk for the reviews. I love them!_


	6. Long Day

June 15th 0800 Hours

"Trina, I swear one of these days your coffee is going to eat the enamel off my teeth." Jerry said as he sipped his fresh cup of coffee.

"I would say this coffee will put hair on your chest but I doubt that is what Trina is going for." Seth laughed.

"Maybe I should offer some to Taylor Swift." Trina laughed.

"You back on that? This from the woman who has a huge crush on Liam Neeson!" Seth said.

"When Liam Neeson is jumping around singing annoying songs, I will find a new celebrity crush." Trina laughed.

"You just like him because he is all manly and tough in those 'Taken' movies." Seth said.

"Actually I first noticed how attractive he was in Star Wars….cried like a fool when his character died." Trina chuckled.

"Really? I was just pissed off when his character died. I wanted that Jar-Jar thing to die. Talk about annoying!" Seth said. "Well I am off to get some sleep."

"See you later." Trina waved as Seth walked out of the station, passing Steve as he arrived.

Steve walked in the station to find Jerry, John and Trina standing around drinking coffee and laughing.

"Ah, good morning Steve. Want a cup of coffee?" John offered.

"No thanks, I had some before I drove over. Trina and I are gonna look at the DMV files, see if anyone new has moved to the area that may have a previous record or something." Steve told them.

"We have been looking at everything else, might as well try that." Jerry said.

"I am gonna look at missing persons cases of surrounding counties. Maybe we can find the Jane Doe there." John said.

"I hope we can identify her soon. Her family must be frantic." Jerry said. "Let's get to work people. I don't want any more dead girls in the county."

Everyone took seats at the desks, firing up the computers and looking through folders trying to find a break in the case. They worked diligently for over two hours, searching everything they could find.

"From the looks of things, the only people that have applied for new driver's license in the county recently are teenagers…and you." Trina said to Steve.

"I was hoping we'd get something…so at least we had someone to interview." Steve sighed.

"So far no missing girls in the state been reported recently that would fit the description of our Jane Doe." John sighed.

"Well it's possible she was a tourist, she might not be from the state. She might have been traveling alone. With this being an area with tourists visiting, who knows?" Trina sighed.

"What if it is a tourist? Like someone who has come here for the summer?" Steve said. "There is no guarantee that a local is the killer."

"Guess it is time to start contacting the local motels and campgrounds. See if anyone is staying long term or has been here over the past two weeks." Trina said.

"Gonna be a long day." John sighed.

1900 hours

"Come on Trina, it's been a long day. Let's go get a drink." Steve said.

They had spent the day calling all the motels, resorts and campgrounds in the county looking for anyone that was staying long term or had been there for the past two weeks. Jerry and John had already taken off for the day. Seth had come in and went with the other guys to Almost Heaven for a drink.

"All we found is that the only long term guests at any motel is the construction crew working in the park and that is to be expected." She sighed.

"Don't let it get to you. Something will break." Steve tried to reassure her.

"It is driving me crazy that we can't find anything. We haven't even been able to ID this girl!" Trina sighed.

"Hey…no obsessing. If you start obsessing, this will drive you insane. I know this is your first homicide case but if you can't let it take over." Steve told her. "Come on, let's go get a drink and forget the case until tomorrow."

"Okay, sounds good." She gave him a small smile.

Trina locked up with station as they exited the building. She and Steve walked together down the street to Almost Heaven. As they walked in, Randy waved to them from behind the bar. The jukebox was playing and there were several patrons around the bar at tables and booths. They spotted Jerry, John and Seth at a table and hurried over to join them.

"Did you two knock off for the day?" Seth asked.

"Yeah, decided to get a drink and relax." Steve said.

Jerry waved over to Randy, indicating for him to bring a beer for Steve and Trina. Trina noticed a paper advertisement on the tables. She picked up the ad on their table. 'All Night Movie Festival Featuring Classic Horror Cinema, Cheat Drive-In' she read as Randy brought over their beers.

"Local drive-in is having a movie festival this weekend." Trina said.

"This month they are doing classic horror films, none of those interest me." John said.

Trina read over the list of movies being shown that night. "Well John, maybe next month they will have a western festival."

"They had one a few years ago." Jerry said.

"Come on Seth, I want to dance." Trina pulled on his arm as George Strait 'Carrying Your Love with Me' started playing out of the jukebox.

"But I am on duty." Seth half protested.

"I won't rat you out to Jerry." She laughed and pulled him out to the dance floor with her.

Seth chuckled as Trina pulled him out to the dance floor and loosely wrapped her arms around him. Seth gently put his hands on her waist as they swayed together with a few other couples also on the dance floor.

"I am so glad to see her laughing and having fun." Jerry chuckled at her antics.

"Me too. No one deserves it more than her. I can't wait for karma to pay that bastard back for everything he put her through." John drank his beer.

"You guys really care about her." Steve observed.

"You work with someone for eight years, they become special to you." John said, watching Trina and Seth laugh as they danced; no doubt joking with each other.

"She really is a great girl. But her last relationship really hurt her and left her with some trust issues." Jerry said.

"I can tell the Davis PD is very close." Steve said. "It is nice how you all look out for each other."

"Well you are a welcome addition. We were worried when we got a new county detective, they would be difficult to work with or not willing to cooperate with local officers. You aren't like that and we're grateful." Jerry said.

Trina and Seth came back to the table, still laughing about something. "Come on John, you need to dance." She grabbed his hand.

"Say what?" John looked at her.

"Oh just come on. You know I won't let it go!" she laughed and tugged on his hand.

"Go on John before she tears your arm off." Seth chuckled.

"Come on, dance with your future wife!" she winked laughing.

"Huh?" Steve stared at them.

"She always says she is marrying me should I ever become widowed." John chuckled as he gave up and followed her to the dance floor.

Randy brought them over a couple more beers as John and Trina made it to the dance floor.

"You guys want anything to eat?" Randy asked them.

"No, I should be getting back to the station." Seth said.

"Let me know if you guys need anything else." Randy said.

Randy headed back to the bar. Seth got up and headed back to the station. A few more patrons were coming into the bar.

"You think you are gonna stay here? You liking the area?" Jerry asked Steve.

"Yeah, I haven't been here long but I like it so far." Steve said.

"You showed up just in time. This case is the biggest to hit this area in a long time." Jerry said.

"So what about you? You married?" Steve asked.

"No, afraid I am unlucky in love. Three divorces." Jerry said. "My next marriage will be when I am in the nursing home."

"Why?"

"Because then we'll be too senile to remember when we are mad at each other." Jerry smirked making Steve laugh.

John and Trina came back to the table, laughing at something they had been discussing. They both sat down at the table.

"So Steve, Trina tells me you are gonna work on her barn roof for her?" John asked, picking up his beer again.

"Well I am pretty good at being a handy man and it is a shame to see a nice barn just sitting there." Steve shrugged.

"Great now she is gonna get that goat and name it Daniel." John rolled his eyes, as the others laughed at what was apparently an inside joke.

"Oh you know that is a brilliant idea….as long as I don't take it to Wrigley Field." Trina laughed.

"Trina and her goat jokes." Jerry chuckled.

"Well Steve, I haven't danced with you yet. Come on, the jukebox is playing Lonestar." She grabbed his hand.

"What? I have never danced to country music before." He laughed.

"There is a first time for everything. I never danced with a guy from California before." She giggled and tugged on his hand.

"Welcome to Trina in a playful mood." Jerry smiled.

Steve finally stood up and let Trina pull him out to the dancefloor as 'Say When' played on the jukebox. Trina and Steve loosely wrapped their arms around each other.

"I never thought he would dance with her." John said.

"Eh, it is just all fun." Jerry shrugged. "You danced with her."

"I've known her for years and she is practically family." John said.

"Guess Steve is part of the family now. At least she is smiling and having fun. After what she went through last summer, I was worried this summer she would be remembering the bad times." Jerry said.

"See, this isn't so bad." Trina laughed as they danced.

"I am just glad you are putting the case away and enjoying yourself." He smiled. "But this is kinda fun."

"And it's very nice to have a new friend." She said.

"Yeah, I would agree with that." Steve said.

 _Song Inspiration for This Chapter- "Say When" by Lonestar_

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _My awesome story reviewers have me so excited about this story. I just love working on it! Thanks so much! I am so thankful for the feedback. Thank you Batistasprincess, Debwood-1999 (Good catch, but it's not quite what you think), jcott3, carlyrosanna83, cdajr and Cinnamon Muffin Punk for the feedback. *hugs for you guys*_


	7. Cheat Doe

_**Warning-**_ _Mature content in this chapter. Some may consider it gross or upsetting. Please use judgement if you are upset by descriptions of crime, death and murder._

June 16th, 0900 Hours

Trina was doing an endless stack of paperwork at her desk while Seth and John complained about the NBA finals. Jerry walked over and sat down across her desk from her.

"Got a minute?" Jerry asked.

"Always for you. What's up?" she asked.

"You ever heard of the case of the WVU hitchhikers that were beheaded?" Jerry asked.

"Well of course. I attended WVU, its part of the ghost stories in that area now." Trina replied and looked up from her reports.

"Do you know more than just the ghost stories?" Jerry asked.

"I have read up on the case. Two girls on their way home from the movies, picked up and later found decapitated. That was in the 1970's. You don't think it is related to our case do you?" Trina raised her eyebrow.

"No….maybe a copycat killer but the case was so long ago. Besides, the murderer was caught." Jerry said.

"I never believed they had the right guy. Too much about him didn't add up." She said. "Why bring up the old WVU case?"

"It's just been on my mind today. Funny how history repeats itself." Jerry commented.

"Well I am beginning to think that our case is going to be a very long case. Leads are none and we have no ID on our second victim. Although we have started calling her Cheat Doe, since she was found by the Cheat River." Trina said.

"It really bothers you that we haven't identified her." Jerry observed.

"Just the thought of being dead and none of your loved ones there. And your family and friends wherever they are not knowing what has happened." She said. "Some of those old cases, where a person is never identified…..that is so sad. Never able to have a proper farewell of people celebrating that person's life and achievements."

"We'll find who she is." Jerry assured her.

1100 Hours

"Trina have you ever thought about one of those dating websites?" Seth asked her.

"I don't really think that would work in a small town where everyone knows me already. It'd be easier to put an ad in the paper that reads 'Female officer. Screwed over by ex. Looking for a guy that doesn't have hidden violent tendencies, actually listens to what she has to say and is absolutely five hundred percent positive none of his exes can pop up with a kid he didn't know about. If you like country music, riding four wheelers and casual evenings at home; call now!" Trina rolled her eyes.

"I'd call in." Seth winked.

"You'd only call in to see who else had called. And I refuse to jump around shaking anything off!" She laughed.

"Trina, just got a call I want you to handle." Jerry walked out of his office.

"What's up?" she looked at him.

"Marty Jannetty just called in. He said he was checking his fences this morning and smelled a foul odor…like something dead. When he went to check it out he thought he saw a head. Spooked him too much to look closely so he called me. Get out to his place and see what is going on." Jerry told her.

"I am on it. I'll call in and let you know." She said as she stood gathering her things.

She hurried out the door and was surprised to see Steve walking up the sidewalk. She stopped to speak to him.

"What brings you here?" she smiled.

"Just thought I would stop by for an update. Heard anything on Cheat Doe?" Steve asked.

"You could've called and asked that." She chuckled.

"Gave me a reason to get out of the office. Not much going on in Parsons." Steve shrugged. "I am not a sit still kind of person."

"Well, we just got a call. One of the local farmers found something a little weird. He thought it was a head so he called us. Wanna ride with me?" she asked.

"Sure." He agreed. "You think it is anything serious?" he asked as they walked to the SUV.

"Maybe, maybe not." She said as she climbed inside. "It may be a dummy head. May be high school kids pulling a prank. Might be eyes playing tricks on him…..everyone is a bit on edge with the two recent murders."

She started the SUV and headed towards the Jannetty farm. She had known Marty since she was a child. He was a local resident and her father often bought fresh eggs from him.

"The guy who called it in, he okay?" Steve asked.

"Marty? He is a good man. Very level headed and decent." She said.

"You really know your town." Steve observed.

She pulled the SUV into the driveway that led up to the Jannetty farm. She parked outside the house as Marty came out, looking a bit anxious.

"Trinvilla, thank goodness you're here." Marty said, making Trina groan at the use of her real name. "Sorry, I know you prefer Trina."

"It's fine. Marty this is our new county detective, Steve Borden." She introduced as she climbed out of the SUV. "Tell me about what you found."

"I was checking my fences, just my usual routine. When I was riding down by the creek I smelled something dead. Figured it was an animal or something. But when I went to see what it was, thinking I could throw some dirt on it and get rid of the smell….I saw what looked like a head. I…..with those girls being murdered…..I just…."

"Hey…calm down." She gently rubbed his shoulder. "You did the right thing. We'll find out what it is."

"What if it is part of those girls?" Marty asked.

"Just stay calm. Let's just figure out what is going on first." Trina assured him. "Just point me and Steve in the right direction and we'll go. You just stay here and don't worry."

"It is beyond the fence in the far pasture, by the creek." Marty told them.

"Okay…just stay here and relax. We'll take it from here." She said and Marty nodded. "Did you touch anything when you were there earlier?"

"No." Marty shook his head.

"Good, we'll go look." She said.

Trina and Steve began walking up the small hill towards the pasture that Marty had pointed them to. Steve looked around, noticing that Marty had a nice farm. Horses in the field, chickens by the barn and a few geese.

"You were very good at talking to him and helping him calm down." Steve commented. "I have noticed the people around here trust you."

"They know me." She said.

They walked to the fence and jumped over it, following the creek. After several hundred feet, they too began to smell the odor of decay that Marty had told them about. As they walked closer they saw what appeared to be blonde human hair sticking up among some leaves. Steve walked forward and carefully moved a couple of the leaves. They could see, the head was human with lipstick smeared, the mouth open in a grotesque oval with the tongue protruding.

"I'll call Dolph. Start marking off a perimeter to be searched." Trina said.

"Yeah….this is definitely related to our case." Steve said.

"April wasn't a blonde. This may be Cheat Doe." Trina sighed as she dialed her phone. "Dolph, you're needed at the Jannetty farm….we just found a human head."

1300 Hours

Trina and Steve had been searching the area around where the head was found since Dolph had arrived and they had not found any evidence left behind. They hadn't found as much as a footprint. Trina had also called into the station and reported to Jerry what they had found.

"What can you tell us?" Trina asked Dolph.

"Based on the long hair and make-up, I am willing to guess it is female but we will know more once I get back to the morgue." Dolph said. "The head seems to be intact but obviously decomposing."

"Is it the head of one of our decapitated victims?" Steve asked.

"I am willing to bet it is. But again, I need to get everything back to the morgue." Dolph said.

"This is a nightmare. A few weeks ago, this place was like Mayberry. Now we have this mess!" Trina sighed.

"We'll get it figured out. Right now we need to speak to Mr. Jannetty and I think he would respond best to you. I'll stay with Dolph and finish scouring the area." Steve said.

Trina nodded, realizing she needed to stay focused. She turned and carefully started walking back towards the farmhouse. She climbed back over the fence and hurried across the field and towards the house.

As she got near the house, she saw that Marty was sitting on the porch steps. He stood up when he saw her walking towards him.

"Trina…..I saw Dolph arrive. It was really a human head wasn't it?" Marty said.

"Yes. I am sorry this has been so upsetting for you." She said. "But I want you to take comfort from the fact that because you found it when you did and called us, it didn't give any wild animals a chance to bother anything."

"Does it belong to one of those dead girls?" Marty asked.

"We don't know anything for sure right now. The investigation is ongoing." She said. "I need to ask you a few questions."

"I'm not sure what I could tell you."

"Right now I need to know, in the past few days have you seen anything or anyone out of the ordinary? Anyone hanging around your property or the woods?" she asked.

"Seen…no. But last night about 1am, the dogs kept barking. I went to the barn to see if something was after my chickens but everything was quiet." Marty said. "But that might not mean anything. My dogs bark if the wind blows."

"And today is the first time you noticed the weird smell?" Trina asked.

"Yes, but I only check the fence line twice a week unless we have had storms." He said.

"Okay, good to know. Have you heard anyone on four wheelers or dirt bikes in the area recently?" she asked.

"Yes, but I hear that in the woods nearly every day." Marty said.

"Okay, we're just about done here. If you think of anything else, just call the station." She said.

1800 Hours

Trina and Steve walked into the morgue to see what Dolph had found about the head that had been found earlier that day. They had managed to grab a quick sandwich at the station before rushing over there.

"Dolph, what do you have for us?" Trina walked in.

"Well, I have been working since I got back to the morgue. Found a few interesting things." Dolph said.

"Let us have it." Steve said.

"I managed to type the blood of the head and the bodies. That along with the matching cut pattern…..I am reasonably sure the head belongs to Cheat Doe." Dolph said. "But I sent a DNA sample to the lab in Charleston just to verify. I marked it rush order so we should hear something soon."

"At least we have found her head, now where is the head of April Lee is the question." Trina said.

"Also very interesting, I found that Cheat Doe's head had been washed and make-up put on it post-mortem." Dolph said.

"How can you tell that?" Steve asked.

"Take a look." Dolph said and gently pulled the sheet off the head that was laid out on the exam table. "After death, skin becomes firm and will not absorb foundation. See how the foundation has streaks." Dolph pointed to where the make-up was streaked across the cheeks of the badly bloated face. "A mortician applies make-up with an airbrush to avoid streaking like this."

"I am impressed." Steve admitted.

"There is more. I found semen in the mouth and throat of the victim." Dolph said. "And based on the injuries to the mouth, I'd say she was violated post-mortem as well. Also, from the amount of semen found, I'd say the guy violated her more than once."

"This is one sick bastard." Trina said.

"I also rushed a semen sample to Charleston for DNA testing. Maybe we will get a hit in the databank on our killer." Dolph said. "Also a quick examination of her teeth, she has had dental care…she has fillings. Ears are pierced once each. "

"Also, get x-rays of her teeth and dental impressions. That may help ID her." Trina said.

"It's first on my list for tomorrow." Dolph said. "When Charleston calls me, I will let you know first thing."

"Okay, keep us posted." Steve said.

Trina and Steve headed out of the morgue. It had been a long day and both were tired.

"You know, I am really impressed with how such a small department is handling such a strange case. Just when I think I have it all figured out, you guys go and impress me again." Steve smiled as they walked into the parking lot.

Trina chuckled and turned towards him. "Well, you're not so bad for a city slicker." She winked.

"Thanks, just what I needed to hear." He chuckled.

"I am headed back to Davis." Trina said.

"I am gonna head to my office in Parsons. I am gonna make a few calls and arrange to have a forensic artist draw a picture of Cheat Doe. It might help us ID her. Now that we have her head, a forensic artist should be able to do a composite." Steve said.

"That is a great idea. Let me know if there is anything I can do." She said. "Later city slicker."

Steve chuckled, watching her climb in the Davis PD SUV and drive off.

2200 Hours

Steve walked into the Davis PD and found Trina sitting at her desk, writing quickly on a tablet, obviously deep in thought. She had not even looked up when he came in. She had changed into civilian clothes; jeans and a green tank top.

"Did you break up the fight at Almost Heaven?" she asked without looking up.

"Uhhh, no. They having trouble there tonight?" Steve walked closer to her desk.

She looked up and was surprised to see Steve standing there. "Steve? I thought you were Seth. Randy called over a bit ago saying he had a couple of guys in there fighting over a woman and when he asked them to leave, one of them started breaking bottles." She explained. "What are you doing here?"

"I had dropped by your farm to see you and you weren't home. I took a chance that you might be here." Steve shrugged and sat down across from her.

"What did you want to see me about?" she asked.

"Thought we could discuss what we need to get for your barn and when we are gonna get it." He said.

"You could've called me for that." She raised an eyebrow.

"Been a long day, I thought the drive over from Parsons might help me unwind." He said. "So what are you doing here this late?"

"I am putting together a profile on the killer…amateur of course." She answered.

Steve thought for a moment she was obsessing over the case too much, but he was curious as to what she had come up with. "What have you put together?"

"Our killer is male obviously and I believe he is working alone. I think the killer is killing these girls to use for sexual gratification. I think he either suffers sexual dysfunction or he has strange sexual kinks that he cannot find a partner for in his personal life. Either way, to accommodate his sexual needs he has begun killing." She said. "It is strange that he violated her head only. He did not sodomize her or rape her vaginally."

"Interesting theory…..you sure this isn't two killers? I agree with you these murders are sexually motivated. But there have been several women who helped their partners kill to receive gratification." Steve pointed out.

"I thought of that and you're right….Myra Hindley, Carol Bundy, Charlene Gallegos, the list goes on. But there was no peri-mortem sexual assault. To me that says this is a male working alone. Torture and rape while the victim is alive is more indicative of killer couples." She said.

"Damn, you're good." Steve shook his head with a small smirk. "What else you got?"

"The killer is Caucasian. Killers rarely kill outside their race." She said. "And he is choosing victims of opportunity. These are not victims he knows or has stalked."

"You know, you could study further and really develop this skill as a profiler." He said.

"No, it's just something I keep up with to help if needed." She shrugged it off.

"I am starting to think you are too good of a cop to be in a small town like this." Steve said. "I pulled a few strings and found a great forensic artist that is going to draw a composite of Cheat Doe for us. His name is Kofi Kingston and he comes highly recommended."

She looked up at him for a moment. "I told you before, I want to take care of my hometown. Besides, you're a good detective and you're here."

"You got me there." He said. "Sometimes, I think you don't realize how smart you really are."

Seth walked in, dragging a guy in handcuffs with him. He dragged him over to the seat across from his desk and told him to sit down.

"What happened?" Trina asked.

"Two tourist go into Randy's bar and after a couple of drinks realize they both been screwing the same girl who is also there. Instead of getting mad at her for being a cheater, they start fighting with each other. Then Jamie here decides to start breaking bottles and creating a huge mess." Seth rolled his eyes.

"You jackass, you're lucky the bar's owner didn't knock you into the middle of December." Trina laughed as Seth started the process to book the guy.

"Then, when I went to break it all up, this guy decided he wanted to fight me too." Seth glared.

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _I had such a great day and such awesome reviews that I got inspired and posted another chapter pretty quickly. I got awesome reviewers, I love you guys. I enjoy reading every one of them. And I am so glad you guys caught the joke about the goat. Thanks so much jcott3, Jedikia, Paisley2 (You are picking up some of the clues, kudos. And Ryback is Skip Sheffield in this story so good catch. And your Nexus theory is so awesome I wish I had thought of it!), Carlyrosanna83, Batistasprincess and Cinnamon Muffin Punk for the reviews. They seriously made my day that much more awesome!_


	8. Kofi's Drawing

June 18, 1500 Hours

Steve walked into the Davis PD carrying several folders in his hands. He had just come from the county morgue and was anxious to update the Davis PD on the recent developments in the case. He saw that Jerry and his team was in the small break room in the back, apparently they were having a late lunch. He walked over to the break room and smiled as he heard them laughing.

"Hey Borden, glad to see you." Layfield said as he bit into his sandwich.

"Why are you guys eating so late?" Steve raised his eyebrow.

"We had a domestic dispute break out at one of the campgrounds this morning. We just got in a bit ago." Seth sighed.

"What brings you by?" Lawler asked.

"A few things actually. Dolph called with good news and bad news. The good news is the DNA of the body and head both match Cheat Doe. So while we don't have her identity yet at least her remains are complete. The bad news is he did not get a match on the DNA of the killer. The semen didn't match anyone in the database." Steve handed Jerry the reports to look over.

"How is the forensic composite coming?" Trina asked. Steve had called in a few favors and got Kofi Kingston, a well-known forensic artist with the FBI to come in and work on a drawing of Cheat Doe. For the past two days Kofi had been working at the morgue, looking at pictures, x-rays and the head itself to develop a picture of Cheat Doe.

"It is finished. Mr. Kingston finished about an hour ago and I picked up the picture and made some copies." Steve handed them the folder with the composite sketch inside.

Seth opened the folder and took out the picture of Cheat Doe, while the others looked from where they sat. Cheat Doe had long blonde hair, hazel eyes, well-manicured eyebrows and high cheekbones. They all studied the picture for a few minutes.

"I don't recognize her." Seth finally said.

"Me either. She's not a local girl." Layfield said. "So sad, she was an attractive lady."

"At least we have a picture now to help us look through the latest missing persons cases." Trina said.

"I'll help you do that." Steve said and Trina nodded while John raised his eyebrow.

"That's a start. John, you contact Heenan at the newspaper. Get this photo and her information in the newspaper asking for anyone who saw her or knows her to come forward." Jerry said.

"Sure thing." John nodded.

"Seth, you start printing up some posters for us to put around town asking for information about this woman." Jerry said.

"You got it." Seth agreed.

"Okay folks, let's get to it. Somebody, somewhere is missing this girl." Jerry said.

Everyone went their separate ways to get started on their assignments. Steve sat down at Trina's desk with her as they began digging through the newest missing persons cases to come in from around the state.

"These the latest?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, and we can double check online too in case any new ones have been added in the last 24 hours." Trina said as she saw Seth scanning the picture of Cheat Doe into the computer.

"You know, you have been investigating this case really well. You are constantly thinking up new ideas and running with them." Steve said as he opened a folder.

Trina stopped shuffling papers and looked up. "Thank you….that means a lot to me. I know you meant it as a compliment to a co-worker…but after what I went through with my ex….just thank you."

Steve sensed there was more to the story. "You wanna talk about it? Friend to friend?"

Trina seemed deep in thought for a moment, then opened another folder. "A few months ago….I got out of a relationship that had turned toxic….and I didn't realize how toxic it was until I got free of Joe…that's my ex."

Steve nodded, willing to listen and not let on about anything the men had told him. He was interested to hear things from her perspective.

"And well one of the things that caused problems between Joe and me was…he never liked any idea I ever had. Any suggestion I had, he'd shoot down. Any advice I offered, he'd find one of his friends to disagree with whatever I said and use that as why my advice was wrong." She said. Steve frowned, now realizing why she was so touched with his praise. "I mean….he never listened to me…..whether it was about buying a house, going to court about his child, or even grocery shopping."

"Grocery shopping?" Steve asked as he picked up another folder.

"He went on this big kick about saving money…which made sense because we wanted to buy a house. But the jackass ate out three meals a day every day. I tried to tell him that buying three meals a day from restaurants was spending a lot of money that could be saved. I sat down with him and even showed him how to plan meals, buy groceries and how much cheaper it would be than eating out every single meal." She said. Seth looked over noticing Trina was opening up to Steve. "That lasted about two days. He insisted that he had to buy lunch. I again pointed out that even buying lunch every day added up to about 200 dollars a month or more. He said that he didn't like lunch meat for sandwiches, he didn't like prepackaged meals you put in the microwave and he refused to eat any kind of leftover that could be packed in a lunch and brought from home."

"Aren't most people thrilled when someone shows them a way to save money?" Steve was beginning to see why John Layfield was so angry at what this Joe had put Trina through.

"Not him. He wanted to save money but only with his ideas. He wouldn't even go to court and get a court order about child support….even when his own attorney told him that based on his income he was paying 250 dollars more than would be required if he took this to court. That was another thing he wouldn't listen to me about, going to court about his child. I told him to go to court, get his name on the birth certificate and make everything legal. That way the mother couldn't jerk him around and that way if something happened to him, the child would be entitled to his social security and such. But he refused, stating that if he put his name on the birth certificate the mother could make claims on his property." Trina said. "Oh, I'm sorry. I did not mean to unload all this on you."

"It is okay. I get the feeling you needed to talk. I am glad to listen." He smiled at her. "And for the record, he sounds like a complete idiot. Your advice was very well thought out and reasonable."

"Oh his refusal to listen to anything I had to say was just one of our problems. Looking back I can't believe I put up with it as long as I did." She sighed. Steve could tell this guy had really hurt her.

"You know, not every guy is gonna be like Joe was." Steve said. "The right guy will appreciate how smart you are and will listen to what you have to say."

Trina looked up at him. "I hope so." She said. Seth kept an eye on them as he worked on his computer. "It's just so hard to imagine trusting someone again. If you knew the whole story, you would understand."

"When you find someone you care about, you will build trust with them. Just give yourself some time." Steve said.

"You were like a shrink in LA or something?" she chuckled.

"No, just lived a long time and learned a few things along the way." He laughed.

"Thanks for listening." She smiled.

"Any time." He winked.

2000 Hours

"Hey Jerry, we're headed out for the night." Trina stuck her head in his office.

"Find anything useful?" Jerry asked.

"No. Whoever Cheat Doe is, she hasn't been reported missing in the state of West Virginia. Maybe we'll get something from the newspaper ad or the posters." She said. "Steve and I are headed to Almost Heaven for a drink. See you in the morning."

"Have a good night." Jerry nodded and waved to Steve as he left behind Trina.

Jerry walked out of his office to where Seth and John were working at their desks. Both had finished with what Jerry assigned them earlier and were finishing up reports about the domestic disturbance at the campgrounds that morning.

"I am starting to get the feeling something is going on between those two." Seth referred to Steve and Trina. "She even talked to him about Joe today."

"I think they are starting to care about each other but they don't realize it yet." Jerry chuckled.

"That is just ridiculous. Steve is so much older than she is." John muttered.

"Hey there are a lot of couples with big age differences that are very happy." Jerry said. "Look at some of those celebrities."

"Like who?" John frowned.

"How about Celine Dion and her husband Rene. Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart. Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones." Jerry said.

"Johnny Depp and Amber Heard." Seth chuckled.

"You guys are something else." John sighed.

"We don't know that anything will happen." Seth said. "But anyone is an improvement over Joe."

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _A bit more background info in this chapter as well as more clues about the victim. I love reading the theories the reviewers post. And the reviews are great and giving me areas to work on. Love you guys! Thank you to Cinnamon Muffin Punk, Lordban (Seth's role will grow a bit more as the story progresses), Batistasprincess (I gave a warning because different people are grossed out in different ways), Debwood-1999 (Love that you are proposing theories), jcott3 (Great theories, love that you are thinking things out), carlyrosanna83 for the reviews. They are so awesome!_


	9. Drive In

June 20th, 2300 Hours

Trina was out at the Cheat Drive-in for the Classic Horror Movie Festival. She had parked her Jeep and was walking around the grounds. She wanted to keep an eye out on those coming and going from the festival since they had two murders recently. She was worried that a gathering like this might attract the killer to look for potential victims. She was dressed in jeans and a WVU Alumni t-shirt and had pulled her hair into a ponytail.

"Trina, how's it going?" she heard as she was walking past the restrooms. She turned and saw Dean Ambrose, who ran his own garage in town and got all the business of her and her friends since what went down with Joe.

"Dean, nice to see you." She smiled and gave him a quick hug. "What brings you out tonight?"

"I brought my little brother." He shrugged.

"Dean, you don't have a brother."

"Little brother…you know the Big Brothers of America program." Dean clarified.

"Oh that so nice of you to join that program." She smiled. "Does the little guy like movies?"

"I think he was just more excited to get to eat a bunch of junk food, but it should be fun." Dean said.

"That is sweet. How are things going at the garage?" Trina asked.

"Great, business has really picked up this summer." He smiled. "Of course, I keep getting a lot of new customers saying that Layfield and Seth highly recommended me."

Trina smiled, knowing why the men were sending customers Dean's way but decided to keep that private. "Well you do such good work and always take time to explain things to the customers."

"And I have never treated a lady officer like shit and then started dating some hoochie-mama-pretending-to-be-a-church-girl." Dean smirked. Trina stared at him in shock. Dean chuckled. "Oh come on, you know how word travels in this little town."

"I guess that goofy song 'Famous in a Small Town' is more accurate than I knew." She rolled her eyes.

"I better get back to my little guy. But it was nice to see you." Dean smiled.

"Yeah, see you around." She smiled as Dean headed back to where the vehicles were lined up around the screens.

She continued walking around the grounds, looking to see if she noticed any strangers or anything suspicious. She also wanted to keep a close eye out for any girls that appeared to be looking for a ride. As she walked up on the concession stand she was startled to see Steve picking up an order from the window.

"Steve?" she called his name. He looked up and saw her.

"Trina? Didn't think I would see you here." Steve smiled and walked over to her.

"I thought I would keep an eye on things in case our killer heads here looking for victims." She shrugged. "I am not obsessing, just wanted to see if I noticed anything or anyone. What about you?"

Steve gave a small smile. "When I saw the list of movies being shown, I decided to come out. Some of the older horror movies were the best."

"I didn't take you as the classic horror movies kind of guy."

"Guess I am full of surprises. You want to join me? I'd love the company." Steve asked.

"I dunno, I should probably keep an eye on things." She hesitated.

"Tell you what. Watch the movies with me and between movies, I'll walk with you and see if anything looks out of the ordinary." Steve offered.

She thought for a moment and then smiled. "Why not? The next three movies are pretty good."

She followed Steve through the rows of vehicles until they came to his Silverado. Steve lowered the tailgate so they could sit down. She watched as he quickly climbed inside and opened the moon roof so they could hear the movie sound coming over the radio. Finally Steve sat down beside her on the tailgate. They were facing one of the big screens so they could see the movies.

"What did you think of the first movie?" Steve asked her, referring to 'Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?' that had played first.

"Oh I didn't pay it much attention. I absolutely despise Joan Crawford." She explained.

"Watch 'Mommy Dearest' too many times?" Steve asked.

"Crawford was a dreadful human being. She was an abusive mother, I believe every word of that, especially since Christina Crawford had witnesses, including Joan's own secretary to back up her claims. And don't even get me started on the crap she pulled on Bette Davis. If I had been Davis, I'd have snatched her bald headed." Trina said, making Steve laugh at her feistiness. "And I have always wondered if the witch knew those twins she adopted from Georgia Tann were kidnapped."

"You're a real firecracker." Steve chuckled.

Trina shrugged. "Just being me." She said as the screens lit up and the next movie, 'Psycho' started.

As the movie played, Steve shared his popcorn with Trina who was watching the movie beside him. It was a warm night and the weather had brought a lot of people out to the festival. He noticed she would sometimes glancing around, but it was so dark you couldn't see much with the movie playing.

"You know what pisses me off about this movie?" she said suddenly.

"Huh? Oh, what?" he was a bit startled as he watched Janet Leigh on the screen with Anthony Perkins.

"Have you ever seen the second movie in this series?" she asked.

"Yeah but it was years ago."

"Okay, in this movie you can see Marion is madly in love with Sam, wants to marry him to the point she steals money, hoping that would be enough to pay his debts and they could get married. Then after she gets murdered the jackass marries her sister! First of all, I see that as a huge slap to Marion….he wouldn't marry her but married her sister. And what kind of woman marries the man her dead sister was madly in love with but never had the chance to marry?"

Steve laughed out loud, thinking she was adorable with her view of the movie. "I would've never thought about that. You are so funny."

"Maybe I just picked up on it because I am female, who knows…but it has always bugged me." She said, grabbing more popcorn. Steve could see that she was getting more comfortable with him and allowing more of her personality to come out.

June 21st, 0130 Hours

Steve and Trina were walking around the drive-in after the movie 'Psycho' had finished. Both were keeping an eye out for anything unusual, but so far all had been calm and normal. Several people were milling around as they used the restrooms and went to buy snacks.

"You seem to be having fun." Steve commented as they walked.

"Well why not? Good movies, good company, no crime being committed…..although I still think those high school kids in the car behind us were having sex." She rolled her eyes.

"Isn't it like a rule that young couples have to fool around at the drive-in?" Steve laughed.

"I never did. Of course daddy collected guns, hunted and was a trap shooter. One of my high school boyfriends actually told me he knew to respect me because my dad wouldn't miss." She giggled.

"You want something to eat?" Steve asked.

"No, but I am thinking of getting a soda." She answered.

"I will get your soda. You can head on back to the truck, the line is long." Steve said.

"Okay, thanks." She smiled.

She turned and headed back to Steve's Silverado while he got in line at the snack bar. As she hopped up on the tailgate of the Silverado she noticed the kids in the car behind them getting out and the girl trying to fix her hair. She chuckled, realizing she had been right about what they were up to.

As 'Night of the Living Dead' began on the screens around the drive-in, Steve came back to the truck carrying sodas for both of them.

"Thank you." She said as he handed her a soda.

"So Miss Interesting Movie Views…what do you think of the one just starting?" Steve asked.

"I like this one because of the historical value that most people don't even realize." She said.

"Like what? Isn't this a zombie movie?" Steve looked at her.

"Yes, but notice the lead male is African American with a cast of white people. In 1968 that was groundbreaking to have a black man that wasn't Sidney Portier as the hero. And when George Romero made the movie, he made it reflect what was happening in the US at the time, especially in the southern states." She said.

"How does it show that?" he asked.

"Pay attention to the movie. The hick sheriff with the vicious police dogs. Afraid to touch the black man. Killing before you know if someone is a threat or not. All reflective of the time period." She smiled. "I caught a documentary."

Steve chuckled finding that he was enjoying her company and views of all the movies. For her part, Trina was enjoying the evening and was glad to have an evening out even if it was intended to be work related.

0500 Hours

The last movie 'House on Haunted Hill' had finished and the movie patrons were exiting the drive-in. Steve and Trina stood by his Silverado watching people leave. They didn't see any girls that appeared to be looking for a ride. Everything seemed fine. Both of them were glad that the night had been peaceful.

"Looks like everyone is leaving safely." Steve said. "Come on, I will walk you to your Jeep."

Trina nodded and walked with Steve towards where she had parked her Jeep. Vehicles were still clearing out of the drive-in.

"Thanks for inviting me to watch the movies with you tonight. I enjoyed it." She smiled at him.

"No, thank you for joining me. I probably would've left early but I had great company."

"Guess it worked out for both of us." She chuckled.

"The Mayor's Ball in Parsons is coming up. Of course I am expected to be there. Would you like to go with me for the evening?" Steve asked.

Trina hesitated and stopped walking. "Steve, I dunno….I mean after Joe…I just..." she seemed to struggle for words.

"Come on, I need somebody with a sense of humor to help me deal with the politicians that always come to these things." Steve smiled. "Besides, I wanna show up all the other middle aged men by showing up with a pretty young date." He joked.

She laughed. "Okay, you got yourself a pretty young date with a sense of humor."

"Great, at least with you there I won't strangle anybody that is buttering me up for a vote or whatever." He chuckled as they started walking again.

"My Jeep is parked right over here." She smiled. "Thanks again for tonight."

"It was fun." He agreed.

"I'll see you on Monday." She leaned up and kissed his cheek. "See you later." She climbed into her Jeep. Steve watched her start her Jeep and pull out to join the line of cars leaving the drive-in.

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _This chapter was a fluff chapter but did contain some important aspects and future chapters will build on stuff from this chapter. All the good reviews and having a good day I just got inspired and decided to work on the story today and post another chapter quickly. Love my reviewers and all the good feedback. Debwood-1999 (You are on the right track with part of your thinking), Paisley2 (Layfield wasn't having an epiphany, it was more of a 'This is a bad idea' moment. And LMAO…the entire time I was editing the chapter where they found Cheat Doe's head, I kept hearing the old Al Snow song in my head….glad I was not the only one!), carlyrosanna83, cdajr and Cinnamon Muffin Punk- you guys are awesome._


	10. Busy Monday

June 22nd, 0730 Hours

Steve was sitting at the Davis Police Station drinking a cup of coffee with Seth and John. He had arrived early because Trina said there was some people she wanted to interview that day. He had spent most of his Sunday relaxing after being out all night Saturday at the drive-in.

"How was the movie festival the other night? I considered going but decided I better sleep while I could." Seth said.

"It was good. Trina was there and we ended up hanging out. She is funny when she talks about movies." He smiled.

Layfield and Seth looked at each other with raised eyebrows but said nothing.

"You should come to my house for dinner some time. My wife would love to meet you." John said.

"Sounds great. Let me know when." Steve said.

Trina walked in the door, dressed in her uniform and carrying a large glass pan in her arms. She smiled and walked over to where the guys were seated with their coffee.

"Hey guys, how's it going?" she smiled at them.

"Enjoying the coffee since it isn't strong enough to use as paint thinner." Seth chuckled. "What's in the pan?"

"Oh, this is for Steve." She handed the pan to him. "It's a homemade blackberry cobbler. I went berry picking yesterday when I was riding my four-wheeler and decided to make you a cobbler."

"Thank you. You didn't have to do that." He was surprised.

"I just thought you would enjoy it." She leaned down and hugged him from behind. "Just hide it from Seth or we'll find him in one of the cells downstairs with a purple tongue."

"Hey I never did that with your blackberry cobbler….it was your peanut butter pie you made last Christmas." Seth said, making the others chuckle.

"So who did you want to interview today?" Steve asked her.

"Kinda an unofficial interview…one of our local preachers….Bray Wyatt. I don't suspect him, but he just has this….way of knowing things." Trina said.

"Knowing things how?" Steve asked as he stood up, setting his cobbler on her desk.

"Bray is…..unorthodox. He has contact with some of our more…unusual citizens." Trina said.

"Quit sugarcoating it. Wyatt is a preacher at a snake handling church." Layfield said, making Steve nearly choke on his coffee.

"He….huh?"

"John, Bray might be a little strange but he is harmless and an okay guy. Just because his religion is…..different doesn't mean he is a bad person." She said.

"You really think he can help?" Steve asked.

"It couldn't hurt. I mean if one of his congregation is involved…..chances are Bray will sense something." Trina said.

"Well, I'm not sure about this, but why not? Nothing else is giving us any leads." Steve said.

0815 Hours

Trina pulled the Davis PD SUV up outside a small, plain looking wooden building and parked in the small gravel parking lot.

"This is a church?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, snake-handling churches are a branch of the Pentecostal church. They are a small congregation….maybe 10 members." Trina said as she climbed out.

"I never saw anything like that in LA. I had heard about it…..but this is my first encounter with it." Steve admitted as he climbed out as well. "I thought these churches were against the law…despite freedom of religion."

"Actually West Virginia is the only state that allows snake-handling in Appalachia. A lot of other states have outlawed the use of venomous snakes in rituals. It is supposed to protect people and the serpents. Over the years there have been about 80 deaths from venomous snake bites during rituals." She said.

"Well I trust your gut and knowledge of your hometown people." Steve said as he followed her behind the small church to an outbuilding of sorts.

As they rounded the corner, they came upon a large man with long hair and a long beard walking out of the small outbuilding. He was dressed in white pants and a wife beater. Steve wasn't sure what to think of this man, but followed Trina who seemed perfectly calm.

"Bray, good morning!" she smiled.

"Ah, Trina, good morning. And who is the stranger?" Bray smiled as he looked up at them.

"Bray, this is our new county detective Steve Borden. Steve, this is Bray Wyatt, pastor of the Light and Holiness in Jesus Name Church." She introduced the two.

"Nice to meet you." Steve said politely, still unsure of this man standing before him that looked as if he had just crawled out of the swamp.

"What brings you two out this way?" Bray asked. Steve peered around him into the building and saw several snakes in cages.

"I'm sure you have heard there has been two murders in the area recently." Trina said. "And well…..you come in contact with some of our more…..rural residents. Have you heard anything?"

Bray chuckled. "None of my congregation would do such a thing. And murders as gruesome as what I have read in the papers…they would talk if they knew anything."

"Have you had any new members recently?" Steve asked.

"No…my faith is no longer a growing church. We hardly ever get new members. Those of us that do share this faith are mostly those who were raised in it and chose not to abandon it when we reached maturity." Bray said.

"Have you noticed anything unusual lately? Bray, I am worried if we don't find this guy…he is gonna kill again." Trina said.

Bray closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He opened his eyes again. "The animals have been acting strange lately."

"Excuse me?" Steve asked.

"The animals have been acting strange. See the beasts of the earth sense when something is amiss in their environment. Haven't you noticed we have had a high number of deer killed on the road….more than average? The animals seem to be scattering." Bray said.

Steve was unsure what to think, he just kept thinking this guy was crazy and not to be taken seriously.

"Bray, if you think of anything else or if you hear anything, call the station." Trina said.

"I will. I wish I could help more." Bray said.

"Thank you for your time." Steve said.

Bray turned and walked back into the snake building as Trina and Steve walked back around the church towards the SUV.

"The guy is weird." Steve muttered.

"Bray is a bit different, I will give you that. But he is a good man, honest man." She assured him. "I would feel safe being alone with Bray. Trust me, he is different not dangerous."

"But he also didn't tell us anything worthwhile." Steve said.

"In a way he did." Trina looked thoughtful.

Steve stared at her. "How did he tell us anything worthwhile?"

Trina smiled. "You have so much to learn city slicker. For starters, Bray's family has lived in Tucker County for generations. They know everyone. If Bray doesn't know the killer that means the killer either isn't a resident or hasn't been here long."

"You really think so?" he asked, still unsure.

"Yeah, the only thing that confuses me is his ramblings about the animals." She shrugged.

"Guess we can head back to the station." Steve said. "Maybe something positive in this case will break soon."

1400 Hours

"Trina….I'm hungry. Let me have some of that cobbler." Seth half-whined as Trina typed on her computer.

"You'll have to ask Steve, it is his cobbler." She chuckled.

"He is busy talking with Jerry." Seth said.

"Guess you'll just have to starve." She laughed as she expanded her search of similar cases into other states.

"Will you bake me one?" Seth asked. "I'll go beat the hell out of Joe for you."

"You wanna do that anyway." She chuckled. "Which by the way, I love you for."

"If you love me, you'll feed me!" Seth smiled and batted his eyelashes.

"What are you gonna do if Taylor Swift is a lousy cook?" she laughed. "Which she probably is because that twit looks like she wouldn't know how to make toast!"

"They have cooking classes." He insisted. "Besides, as hot as she is, who cares if she can't cook?"

Trina laughed. "You dork, looks fade over time. Then where will that leave you…old and starving. And for the millionth time Taylor Swift is not hot."

"Oh dear, I am hearing about Taylor Swift again." Jerry said as he walked up with Steve.

"Steve, you are my favorite county detective in the history of Tucker County!" Seth said.

"Oh brother." Trina laughed.

"What he meant to say was he wanted some of that cobbler Trina brought you this morning." John laughed at Seth's antics.

"Sure, why don't we all take a break and have some? You got some paper plates or something?" Steve shrugged.

"Yeah, in the break room." Trina said. "Come on Seth, we'll feed you before you drive me crazy."

They all walked into the break room and Trina took some paper plates down off the top of the refrigerator. Steve took the cobbler Trina had made him out of the fridge and set it on the table as everyone took their seats. Trina dug in a drawer until she found a cake cutter and figured they could use that to cut and serve.

Trina cut and served everyone a piece of the cobbler and then took a seat with the rest of the guys.

"Trina this is so good, I swear I am marrying you someday. I'll fight John for you." Seth said as he took another huge bite.

"I refuse to share my husband with Taylor Swift. Besides, he isn't widowed yet." She laughed.

"Don't I get a say in this?" John asked.

"Like you would turn down a cute woman that can cook!" Jerry chuckled. "I am not sure if I should be scared or thrilled that my team is so close."

"You love us…even Seth." Trina laughed.

"Hey I am very lovable." Seth winked making her laugh more.

"I think it is nice. And even though I haven't seen it, I bet when something goes down in the field, you all have each other's backs." Steve said.

"How goes expanding the search for similar cases?" Jerry asked.

"Nothing interesting so far. But I am not giving up. This guy has to have other murders under his belt at the rate he is killing in Tucker County." She said. "My gut tells me he has killed before, most likely in another state."

"Just be careful. You can get too involved in a case and let it eat at you." Steve warned as this was something he could see Trina did despite his warnings.

"I'm fine. I better get back to work." She stood up.

"Thank you for this. It is delicious." Steve smiled at her.

"Well, maybe I will make you something else yummy before we go to the Mayor's Ball." She rubbed his shoulder as she walked by on her way out of the break room.

Jerry, John and Seth all looked at each other. Steve noticed the looks passing among them.

"Guys, something wrong?" Steve asked.

"You and Trina are going to the Mayor's Ball together?" Jerry asked.

"Yeah, I asked her thinking it would be nice. We get along well and while those events aren't really my thing, I think I would enjoy spending a nice evening with her." Steve said.

"Steve….we like you, really we do. But we're not sure how much she has healed since that whole mess with Joe." Seth said.

"And we wouldn't want you to end up being her rebound guy from him either." Jerry said.

"And we don't want anything else to hurt Trina. She has been through hell." John said.

"Hey, it's just the Mayor's Ball. It's not like we are getting married." Steve said.

"Well…..whatever happens is between you two. And well you guys have been working together a lot and spending a lot of time together." Jerry gently implied that he recognized the growing feelings between the two.

"And I think Trina may be feeling something for you. She is really warming up to you." Seth said and noticed the small smile that broke out on Steve's face.

"Just be careful." John said.

1830 Hours

Trina was getting ready to leave work having spent the afternoon digging through cases in surrounding states hoping to find a similar pattern to the two murders in Tucker County but was unable to find anything yet.

"Why don't we go to Lowes and get what is needed for your barn?" Steve asked. "I'll drive."

"You realize we'll have to drive to Buckhannon?" She asked.

"I don't mind. We can grab dinner." Steve shrugged.

"Okay, let me go change into street clothes. It will only take me a few minutes." She said and hurried to the small locker room in the back.

Steve sat down and looked at the papers covering her desk. She had looked at cases from several states but couldn't find one with a similar MO yet. Jerry had finally told her to knock off early since she had worked so hard all day. He looked up to see her hurrying back out of the locker room dressed in casual shorts and flip-flops.

"Okay, I am all ready to go." She said.

"We'll see you guys tomorrow." Steve said as he followed Trina out of the station.

They walked over to Steve's Silverado and he popped the locks so they could get in. She climbed in as Steve started the truck. He set the GPS for where they were going and headed out.

"You know, the Buckhannon police made themselves look pretty bad the past few years." Trina said. "Maybe that is one of the reasons I am working so hard on this case."

"What happened?" Steve asked.

"Well…..it got leaked out about one of their missing person's cases. A young guy, in his 20's, He had gone to the police trying to get a warrant taken out, claiming an illegal immigrant had threatened him. Buckhannon police didn't do anything with it, didn't take him seriously. Then he came up missing." Trina explained.

"That doesn't mean that the guy threatening is the reason he is missing. Although it doesn't paint the police there in the best light." Steve said.

"Yeah….then a few months later….the illegal immigrant was arrested after it was learned he had hired someone to kill a guy he thought was fooling around with his wife. Turns out there were rumors the missing kid was fooling around with the same lady. After that the Buckhannon police have come under fire." She said.

"Wow…..guess that would be a time where a lot of questions would be asked." Steve agreed. "But no police talk for a while. Let's focus on your barn."

She chuckled. "Okay that sounds good."

"I figure we're gonna need some metal flashing, roof caulking, roof nails…they should have it all." He said.

She chuckled. "How does a city boy know all this?"

"My dad taught me how to be handy. Said he wanted me to be able to take care of myself." Steve said.

"I wish my parents had taught me some of this stuff. Dad was a jack of all trades…so was mom. I think they thought they'd have more time with me." She said.

"I know you must miss them." Steve said.

"You know, sometimes I can hear my dad's laugh…or I'll say something and be like 'whoa dad just flew out of my mouth'." She chuckled, not even stopping to realize she was sharing private thoughts. "Like when I watch the Super Bowl and they are doing all those pre-game activities….with video packages, the overdone coin toss, all the guests etc I find myself saying 'If you cut out all this bullshit and just played the game, it would be half over by now.' And that was so my dad….he hated all the pre-game stuff at any sporting event….except the Kentucky Derby."

"Sounds like you guys were really close." Steve smiled.

"Oh yeah, he was the best. Called me and mom 'his ladies'." She chuckled.

2130 Hours

After their trip to Lowes, they had stopped at a small roadside food stand to get some dinner. Trina sat on the tailgate of the Silverado while Steve placed their order. It was mostly dark but some street lights helped illuminate the area. She was excited to finally be getting her barn fixed and was anxious to buy a horse and still wanted a goat.

Steve walked over, carrying their food in a box and sat down next to her on the tailgate. He handed her what he had bought for her to eat, a slaw dog and French fries.

"Good service here." Steve smiled at her.

"Good food too. I haven't been here in a while. I never could get Joe to come out here. Claimed he didn't like anything on the menu." Trina said and rolled her eyes. 

"I don't know why he wouldn't listen to you about food, you certainly know how to cook and grow a garden." Steve tried to be encouraging.

"It wasn't just food. He wouldn't listen about anything I had to say. You know he nearly let his own dog die because he wouldn't believe me it had heartworms." Trina said as she unwrapped her slaw dog.

"He what?"

"He had this beautiful brindle pit bull. That thing was his baby, but the jackass was too stingy to take it to the vet. When we started dating, I noticed the dog was showing symptoms of having heartworm. I tried telling him that his dog was sick but he said the dog was just being lazy and wanting attention. Then he got this brilliant idea to give the dog pills to treat intestinal worms. I couldn't make that stupid man understand heart worms were not an intestinal worm. When I finally carried on enough that he let me take the dog to the vet, he was nearly dead…I'm sorry. I am sure you don't want to hear all about my anger and frustrations from that man." She smiled sheepishly.

"It's okay. I understand that you need to vent." Steve said.

"I don't want to spend my time with you talking about him. Besides, I am sure you don't want to hear about him all the time. I just have so much…..emotion…never mind. " She smiled. "So tell me, what other handyman type stuff can you do?"

"You can always talk to me." He assured her. "A little bit of everything. You know, get the sink to stop leaking, unclog a toilet, fix cabinet hinges, etc." he shrugged.

"I have never seen your little house in Parsons, what's it like?" she asked as he took a bite of his pulled BBQ sandwich.

"I am keeping it simple, nothing really fancy. It's comfortable and near the station…although I seem to always be in Davis these days." He winked at her.

"It's okay, I hear they like you at the Davis PD." She giggled.

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _Some clues, bonding and backstory in this chapter among other things. Not sure it came out like I hoped but here it is. Loving the feedback from my awesome reviewers. You guys rock! Thank you Debwood-1999, my guest reviewer, jcott3 (that was thrown in for the sake of showing bonding and that she is letting more of her personality come out as she gets more used to Steve), Batistasprincess, carlyrosanna83, and cinnamon muffin punk._


	11. Witness, News Report and Work

June 23rd, 0900 Hours

Trina was working alone in the station at Davis. Layfield had got called out to a car accident at the edge of town and Jerry had gone to meet with County Sheriff Flair. She looked up when she saw one of the local residents, Robert Gibson walk into the station. She had known him most of her life, he worked at the post office in town.

"Mr. Gibson, what can I do for you?" she smiled and walked over to him.

"Trina, I need to talk to you." He handed her the article from the newspaper about Cheat Doe. "I saw that girl."

"You did? Come on, let's sit down." She led him over to her desk and sat down across from him. "Now tell me, when did you see this girl?"

"Friday before last…I think that would've been the 12th." He said.

"And where did you see her?" she asked as she jotted down notes.

"She was hitchhiking….along 29 right outside the park." Gibson said, meaning Blackwater Falls State Park. "I was concerned about a young girl out there alone so I pulled over and picked her up."

"Did she tell you a name?" Trina looked up.

"No, but she did tell me she had been in the park that day." Robert said.

"Tell me everything she said to you." Trina said.

"She said she had come to the park that morning with her friends from Morgantown. She said they got separated during the day and her friends had left her there. She was trying to hitchhike back to Morgantown. She didn't say much else." Robert explained.

"Where did you drop her off at?" she asked.

"I was only going to Parsons that night, so I dropped her off at a gas station there. I went ahead about my business and never gave it anymore thought…..until I saw the pictures in the newspaper and on posters. It looks like the same girl." He said.

"Did she meet anyone at the gas station? Did you see her talking to anyone?" Trina asked.

"No, she just said she was gonna get a drink and try calling for a ride." Robert said. "I just dropped her off and went on."

"Okay, did she have anything with her?"

"All I saw her carrying was a purse. She seemed nice enough but I didn't really pay attention. I was a little worried about her hitchhiking but she was a grown woman." Robert said.

"Anything else you can tell me about her? Did she mention any names of friends?"

"No, nothing like that, but she did speak with an accent….sounded like Russian or one of the other Eastern Bloc countries, but her English was clear." Gibson said. "Trina, I swear if I'd known she was gonna be murdered….I wouldn't have left her alone."

"Oh I know that Mr. Gibson. Please, don't blame yourself. The only one who did wrong here was the murderer, remember that." She stressed to him. "And you're helping her now by coming forward."

"I wish I could help more." He shrugged.

"I am going to type this up as a statement for you. I will bring it by the post office and let you sign it after you read over it. If you think of anything else, call the station or come by. And thank you for coming forward." She gave him a small smile.

"It's the least I could do. Do you need me for anything else?" he asked as he stood up.

"No, I will type this up and bring it by. Thank you again." She said. He nodded and walked out of the station.

Trina looked back over the notes she had jotted down as she dialed Steve's number on her cell phone.

"Borden." He answered.

"Steve, a witness came forward stating he had seen Cheat Doe." She said.

"That's great. What did you get?" he asked.

"One of our postal workers came in. He said that he picked her up, she was hitchhiking along 29 outside the park on the 12th. She didn't give her name but said she was from Morgantown and had been left at the park by her friends who she had come to the park with. Mr. Gibson said she spoke with an accent, Eastern European." She explained. "He drove her into Parsons, left her off at a gas station. She had said she would get a drink and try calling for a ride."

"Is this witness credible?" Steve asked.

"Mr. Gibson…he is a good man, very stable and reliable." She said.

"Well that gives us at least a little information and new things to investigate." Steve said.

"I think it's pretty clear someone is targeting hitchhikers. Why people still do it as dangerous as it is, I don't know." She sighed.

"You may be right. Get in touch with the Morgantown Police. See if they know anything or if anyone fitting her description has been reported missing. Fax them the composite that Kofi made along with her information. Then get in contact with INTERPOL." Steve said. "I am gonna contact that gas station and see about getting their security footage. Problem is most places like that use the same tapes over and usually re-record every 3-5 days."

"I am on it. Let me know if you find anything. I will see you this evening." She smiled and hung up, hurrying off to contact the Morgantown police.

1830 Hours

Steve pulled up in front of the farmhouse at Trina's farm. He could hear Jack barking in the distance as he climbed out of his Silverado. As we walked to the back of his truck and pulled his toolbox out of the truck bed, Trina and Jack walked around the corner of the house. She was dressed in a tank top and denim shorts.

"Hey there. Glad you made it." She smiled and walked over with Jack beside her.

"How's it going? I know you had a busy day at work." Steve said.

"Yeah, it kept me busy for sure. I figured this evening I would get some work in my garden done. Don't want the weeds taking over." She laughed. "Need help carrying anything?"

"No, I got it. That ladder still in the barn?" he asked.

"Yeah, just help yourself to whatever you need." She said.

Steve nodded. Trina walked back around the house with Jack. Steve grabbed what he needed and began carrying it towards the barn. As he rounded the house, he could hear a radio and realized Trina had a radio playing at the edge of the garden. He chuckled, having never met anyone who listened to as much country music as her.

While Steve went about bringing the rest of the supplies from his truck and getting the ladder, Jack sat at the edge of the garden watching him while Trina was in the garden with a hoe, digging up the weeds. It was hot but not too humid so it was bearable to work outside.

Trina was pleased with her garden. She had planted tomatoes, green beans, corn, turnips, onions and lettuce. As she worked she was cautious about snakes, but knew that her cats kept most of the snakes away. She looked up and noticed Steve had climbed on the roof and had begun working. She had to admit she liked the casual look on him of jeans, white t-shirt and sneakers.

"Need any help?" she called out.

"Nah, I am good. You should probably think of just getting a whole new roof in the next five years or so." Steve called back.

Steve looked down where Trina was working and smiled as he saw her digging out weeds. He admired that a young woman actually worked her own garden and then put up preserves from it. He was noticing she was strong and independent.

2030 Hours

Steve looked down from the roof and though it was starting to get dark he could see Trina at the corner of the house, using the water hose to clean off her feet. Jack was right beside her. Steve chuckled thinking that coydog would probably kill someone if they tried hurting Trina and he was around; which made him realize that when Joe got violent with Trina, it must have been at his house.

"I am going to clean up and make us some dinner." She called out. "Do you need anything before I go in?"

"No, I'll be in soon." Steve called back.

Trina looked up at him and smiled. Steve had taken his shirt off while working and she had been stealing glances at him. She knew he was in good shape but seeing him shirtless showed her that he took excellent care of himself and had a nice body. She motioned for Jack to follow her and she hurried into the house.

She went upstairs to her room and grabbed some clean clothes before going into her bathroom to shower. She wanted to be quick so she could fix dinner. She knew Steve would be hungry and she was starving.

By the time she finished showering and dressed and made it back into the kitchen, Steve was walking in the back door. She was careful not to check him out up close and make him uncomfortable.

"You can shower if you want. You know where the downstairs bathroom is. Towels are in the hall closet." She offered.

"I think I will take you up on that. Luckily I have some spare clothes in the truck." He said.

She smiled as she began digging through the fridge to begin fixing dinner. She could hear Steve go out to his truck and then re-enter the house.

"I don't think I have any body wash that doesn't smell feminine." She said as she cut up some vegetables for a salad.

"Guess I am just gonna smell girly. Don't tell anyone." Steve joked as he walked down the hall towards the downstairs bathroom.

She laughed as she checked the water she was boiling for pasta.

About fifteen minutes later, Steve re-appeared. He was dressed in khaki shorts and a green t-shirt.

"Dinner is almost ready. We're having spaghetti. Is that okay?" she asked as she set drinks on the table.

"That is fine. I am not a picky eater." He took a seat at the table.

"How much more you got on the roof?" she asked, putting the salad on the table.

"I got about a fourth of it done. You really need to get a whole new roof in the next few years." Steve said, watching her move around the kitchen.

"I should probably look into that soon." She said. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help."

"I am glad to do it." He shrugged.

She placed a big bowl of spaghetti on the table and sat down next to him. "Well go ahead and dig in."

They both served themselves large helpings of spaghetti and tossed salad. It was now dark outside but still a hot summer night.

"You really are a great cook. I swear I am gonna gain weight." Steve laughed as he ate.

"Thank you. Mama would be proud that I cook for my friends." She smiled.

"I talked to Flair today. He wants me to do a spot piece on the local news warning women against hitchhiking due to the recent murders." He said. "And I was right about that gas station's security cameras. They already recorded over the night we needed."

"That is actually a good idea." She agreed. "I do believe our killer is targeting hitchhikers. He is choosing victims of opportunity. That stinks about the security tapes though."

"Do you think he is staying in the area? There is still the possibility that he is just traveling through. Maybe he is a trucker or salesman and Tucker County is just on his route." Steve said.

"I don't know what to think. From what Bray said, I don't believe it is someone from the area. I think you are on the right track….he is either traveling through or a tourist. I think he has some connection with the park…even if it is just an emotional one. But something about the park has meaning to him." She said. "April was found there and Cheat Doe had been there that day."

"Enough about work. I want to just relax and enjoy my meal." He smiled. "Have you decided what you are wearing to the Mayor's Ball?"

"I figured I would treat myself and buy a new dress." She said. "Jerry is going too. As Davis Police Chief he is expected to be there."

"Flair has assured me they aren't that bad."

"I love Sheriff Flair. Great guy, very dedicated and for his age, he gets more ass than a toilet seat." She said making Steve choke on his drink.

"I didn't expect that to come out of your mouth." He laughed.

June 24th, 1200 Hours

"Are we gonna watch Steve on the news?" Trina asked as she walked into the break room.

"Flair said he was gonna be on there when they did a report on the latest in our case." Jerry said as he turned on the TV.

"Maybe this will help the case. If nothing else it will drive home to women that hitchhiking is very dangerous." Layfield said. "I told my wife if she has car trouble to not even get out of the car to lock all doors and call for help."

"Do you think dark blue is a pretty color on me?" Trina asked.

"What the hell do I know about fashion?" John said as on the TV, the local news channel played a story on the selling of fireworks for the 4th of July.

"I stopped by the boutique earlier and they have a beautiful navy blue gown. I was thinking I might get it for the Mayor's Ball." She said.

"I am sure you will look nice in whatever you choose." Jerry said. "Our story is on."

 _"And the latest update on an ongoing story in Tucker County. Police now believe a killer is targeting women who are hitchhiking. Detective Steve Borden spoke with us this morning about the case and is warning women against hitchhiking." The news reporter said._

 _"Both the victims found in Tucker County we have learned were hitchhiking." Steve appeared on the screen speaking with the media. "Hitchhiking is a very dangerous practice. It leaves you vulnerable to getting in vehicles with individuals that may mean you harm. And with two murders of hitchhikers in less than a month the threat is higher than ever."_

 _"Earlier this month the remains of April Lee of Cumberland, Maryland were found in the Blackwater Falls State Park. And then several days later the remains of this still unidentified female was found along the Cheat River. Officials have dubbed her Cheat Doe and are still seeking information on her identity." The news reporter continued as the composite of Cheat Doe drawn by Kofi Kingston was shown on the screen. "Detective Borden offers this warning to females in the viewing area."_

 _"Do not hitchhike. It is not worth risking getting into a car with a murderer." Steve appeared on the screen again. "If you need a ride, call a friend or call for a cab. If you experience car trouble, don't get in a car with anyone you don't know. Call for a tow truck or even call the police. Right now we are all working together to keep this from happening to anyone else."_

 _"And Tucker County authorities are urging anyone with information that could lead to the apprehension of the murderer or the identity of Cheat Doe to please come forward."_

"Maybe this will generate some leads for us." Jerry said.

"I hope the females were listening." Trina said.

1700 Hours

Steve walked into the Davis station, seeing Trina talking on the phone at her desk. He waved to Jerry who was in his office. Seth and John were working at one of the computers at Seth's desk. Steve walked over to Trina's desk and sat down on the edge.

She hung up the phone and looked up at him. "That was the Morgantown Police. No one resembling Cheat Doe has been reported missing. And they have no leads on who she might be."

"Tell me about the local hookers." Steve said.

"Huh? Why?" she was confused.

"Hookers are easy prey for killers, you know this. I am worrying the local working girls may be in danger from this guy." Steve said.

"Well, around this little town we have about four girls that are hookers…locals call them chickenheads." Trina started to explain.

"Why chickenheads?" Steve asked.

"What motion does a chicken make when it is eating?" Seth chuckled from where he was working on the computer. "Now compare that to the motion of someone performing fellatio."

"Just when I thought I had heard it all….chickenheads." Steve shook his head.

"At any rate, these four girls ride bikes around town to pick up…customers. They have their usual customers. One is a local guy that works odd jobs and you see him walking his dog." She said. "They usually take their customers on some of the backroads or trails. Lots of times people will be out four wheeling and find them…conducting business." Trina tried to be polite about it.

"Would they go off with a customer they do not know?" Steve asked.

"They probably would. I mean isn't that the nature of…that business?" she said.

"Maybe we should…."

"What the fuck is he doing here?" Seth stood up looking towards the door.

Everyone turned to see what he was talking about. Steve saw a man with short black hair and a goatee wearing a uniform standing just inside the door to the station. Layfield was immediately on his feet as well, glaring daggers. Steve knew this must be Joe that had previously dated Trina. Trina without a word stood up and walked to the break room.

"Someone is going to have to see what he wants." Steve said quietly, noticing that Joe looked rather uncomfortable.

"I'll do it. He just better watch himself." Seth said and walked over to see what Joe wanted.

Steve looked towards the break room where Trina had gone. He got up and started to walk that way but John grabbed his arm.

"Give her a few minutes. Then go check on her." John advised him.

Steve nodded, deciding to listen to John's advice. Instead Steve left the station and walked down the street to the small gas station at the corner. He walked in and went to the coolers, finding what he knew was Trina's favorite soda; Wild Cherry Pepsi. He quickly paid for her soda and headed back to the station.

When Steve walked back into the station he saw Seth sitting at his desk with Joe. John was in the office with Jerry, both men sneaking glances to where Joe was. Steve walked back to the break room. He found Trina sitting in front of a small TV watching public broadcasting.

"Thought you would like a soda." Steve handed her the bottle and sat down beside her.

She smiled at him. "My favorite! Thank you."

"No problem. You okay? The tension out there is thick enough to choke a person." Steve said.

"I'm fine. Really, I am." She said.

"You sure? You're not just saying that so John doesn't kill Joe while Seth helps him hide the body?" Steve asked making Trina laugh out loud.

"No, I am fine. I just left because I didn't want to deal with him. I don't even want to see him." She said. "I am finally starting to feel good. And thinking about Joe too much makes me angry and then I will spend time trying to figure out how it all went so wrong. I don't want to get into that funk."

"I am glad to hear it." He smiled at her.

"Besides, I have a date with a great guy this Saturday. Who has time to deal with an asshole?" she winked.

Seth walked into the break room. "You okay?" he asked Trina.

"I am fine. But thank you for checking on me." She said.

"Do you want me to break his kneecaps?" Seth offered. "I will, I swear just say the word."

"No, we got too much work to do on our murder case for that, but I love you for wanting to. By the way, what is he here for?" she asked.

"He says there was some vandalism at the garage. Damage done to one of the cars he left out back. I'll handle it. You just sit here and relax." Seth said.

"Thank you Seth." She grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

"Wanna know something? I am sorry it wasn't his car damaged." Seth winked.

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _Clues in this chapter along with other stuff. Next two chapters big stuff happening so stay tuned. Cinnamon Muffin Punk, Debwood-1999 (I just thought Bray would be perfect to be in a snake handling church.), jcott3 (glad you caught that about the woods, it is a clue but in a typical Bray way), Batistasprincess (I could so see Bray as the type to notice the things animals were doing that the usual person would overlook) and carlyrosanna83 thank you all for the feedback. Author's love feedback and it is great after working hard on writing. Anyone that is reading and not reviewing, don't be shy let me know what you think._


	12. Cinderella Never Had A Night Like This

June 27th, 1900 Hours

Steve pulled up the driveway to Trina's farm and shut off his Silverado. He climbed out dressed in his rented tux, which he felt was a bit stuffy. He walked up to the front door and knocked, immediately causing Jack to start barking. He heard Trina yell at the coydog to be quiet and he immediately quieted down.

Trina opened the door and Steve's breath caught in his throat for a few seconds. She was wearing a long navy blue evening gown with a split up the left side; one strap made of jewels and the other made of material with a sash around the arm on the jewel side giving the dress a Greek goddess look. She was wearing silver open toed heels, and had her hair in a French twist with curls framing her face.

"Hi Steve." She smiled. "You clean up so well. You look so handsome."

"Thank you…..you look stunning. Really gorgeous." He smiled.

"Thank you. I rarely get a chance to really dress up." She blushed a bit.

"I better keep a close eye on you tonight. The other guys are gonna be trying to steal you." He said, making her chuckle. "You ready?"

"Yes, we can go." She shut the door behind her. Steve gently put his hand on the small of her back as he guided her towards his truck.

He helped her into the passenger seat before climbing in the truck himself and driving the truck towards the Canaan Valley Resort and Conference Center where the ball was being held. As they pulled in they could see many cars in the parking area, obviously this was a big event in the area.

Steve helped Trina out of the Silverado and offered her his arm as they walked into the resort together. The mayor's ball was being held to raise money for various charities. Several local politicians and police representatives would be in attendance.

They walked into the conference center which had been beautifully decorated and set up for the event. A live band was playing, an illusionist was set up as well and on the opposite side of the room was a palm reader. They spotted Jerry talking with Sheriff Flair at the bar.

"Damn Borden, you're in town for a month and you show up with a date that looks like model." Flair said. "Trina, nice to see you."

"Hi Ric, glad to see you." She chuckled and hugged him.

"Trina, I have never seen you look so pretty. Seth would fall over if he were here." Jerry smiled.

"Thank you….I think." She laughed.

"A lot of good entertainment and food here." Flair said. "Borden, make sure you speak with Mayor Bischoff while you are here."

"Of course, after all it is his party." Steve said.

Steve ordered them a couple drinks as they made chit chat. Jerry was very much like Steve and didn't like schmoozing with politicians. Ric on the other hand had huge personality and loved making the rounds and sharing big stories.

"Have you guys tried the buffet yet? Lots of food there." Michael Cole walked up to them, he was on the Parsons city council.

"I think we'll head that way now." Steve took Trina's hand. "If you'll excuse us."

They made their way towards the large buffet that had been set up. Steve never let go of Trina's hand and she didn't complain.

"Trina, so nice to see you here." They heard. They turned and saw District Attorney Damien Sandow approaching them.

"Damien, how have you been?" she let go of Steve and hugged him.

"Not bad. I didn't expect to see you here." Damien smiled.

"I am here with Steve. Have you met our new County Detective?" she asked.

"Yes, I was glad when we filled that spot. How are you?" Damien shook hands with Steve.

"Good, just enjoying the evening." Steve said.

"We were just getting something to eat but I hope to see you later." She smiled at Damien.

"Oh try the crab cakes, they are delicious." Damien said as they excused themselves.

"You know him well?" Steve asked.

"I have known Damien for years. He was a young attorney just getting started when daddy died. Damien handled his will and such. He also helped when mama died." Trina said.

They made it to the buffet table. As they were moving down the line, telling the staff what they wanted on their plates a woman in a red cocktail dress walked over to them.

"Trina, I didn't expect to see you here. Aren't these events for higher ranking officers?" the lady smiled.

"Hello Nikki. I was actually invited by our county detective." Trina said while rolling her eyes.

"Oh, is that who this is?" Nikki eyed Steve. "Last I heard you were dumped by that mechanic for his baby mama."

"Well that will teach you not to believe everything you hear. By the way, you married yet?" Trina took her plate. "Excuse me, my date and I are going to enjoy our dinner."

Trina grabbed Steve's hand and pulled him away from the buffet line. He walked with her to a table and pulled her seat out for her, then took a seat himself.

"Who was she?" Steve asked.

"That was Nikki, the biggest gold digger in the state of West Virginia if not the entire eastern United States." Trina rolled her eyes.

"I take it you don't like her?" Steve asked as he began his meal.

"She used to date Dolph…thank god that ended. Now the little tramp is dating John Cena, the county commissioner. And everyone knows she is pressuring him to marry her, but he doesn't want to. We're all hoping he wises up and kicks her to the curb." Trina said. "Of course Seth and me are betting the little witch will try using the old 'get pregnant to keep him' trick. To be honest I am surprised she hasn't done it already."

"Sounds like a crazy situation." Steve said.

"A regular soap opera. And she thinks she's such hot shit because she is with him. If someone with more clout and power comes along and shows her interest, she'll leave John." Trina said.

Steve chuckled at her story, enjoying her no holds barred opinions on people. He could tell Trina was definitely the type to call people on their bullshit and not apologize for it.

2100 Hours

Steve and Trina were on the dancefloor enjoying a few dances while the band played in the background. Both were enjoying the evening; the festivities and each other's company.

"Did they have mayor's balls in LA?" she asked as they danced.

"Yeah, they had them at least once a year to raise money for charity. I went to several of them after I moved up in rank." Steve said.

"This is my first one." She smiled.

"This one isn't so bad. Of course, we have been good at dodging some of the politicians. Looks like someone caught Jerry." Steve chuckled and indicated to where Jerry was seated at a table looking bored with a guy that kept talking to him.

"Oh that is John Laurenitis. He's a state senator that has his eye on being governor." Trina said. "Let's make sure we avoid him even if we have to hide in the ladies bathroom. He has the personality of moldy bread."

"Wouldn't Jerry get upset if I went in the ladies room with you?" Steve laughed.

"Nah, but once he told Seth, I would never hear the end of it." She laughed.

"Excuse me, can I cut in? I have to get away from Laurenitis." Jerry popped up beside them.

Trina burst out laughing.

"Sure, dance with Trina. I'll go get us something to drink." Steve chuckled as moved so Jerry could dance with Trina.

Steve walked over to the bar and ordered them a few drinks. As he waiting for them, Ric came around to get another drink as well.

"So Borden, what is going on with you and that pretty cop?" Ric smiled as he ordered.

"She is just my date for the evening." Steve said.

"Yeah right…you two been smiling all evening." Ric smiled. "I know Trina from working in the county for years. She is a great lady."

"She's been through a bad relationship." Steve said.

"I have seen her tonight, she ain't worried about that stupid asshole now." Ric said. Steve looked over at him. "Oh yeah, I know all about it."

"I will never get used to this small town thing." Steve shook his head as the drinks arrived.

As Steve made his way back towards the dance floor, he saw Trina and Jerry walking towards him laughing about something. Steve had to admit that Ric was right; Trina looked happy.

"What is so funny?" Steve asked handing her a drink.

"Just telling Trina a few stories about one of my ex-wives." Jerry chuckled. "Thank you for lending me your date."

"Glad I could help." Steve smiled as Jerry took off into the crowd. "Wanna check out some of the entertainment?" he asked Trina.

Without much thought Steve wrapped his arm around her as they made their way around the room. They could see the illusionist performing tricks off to one side. They stopped to watch as the illusionist made a cigarette disappear and then reappear. They chuckled and clapped with the others as they watched.

"I think they have a palm reader." Steve whispered as the illusionist 'made' cards change in front of the audience.

"I wonder if she can tell me who is gonna win the next Super Bowl? If she tells me Seattle is gonna be in the Super Bowl again, I might skip the whole season." Trina chuckled.

"Come on, it's a fun gag." Steve took her hand as they started walking towards the corner where the palm reader was set up.

As they approached the palm reader, they both chuckled at her costume. She was wearing a long skirt and a bandana around her head.

"Are we supposed to take this seriously?" Trina laughed.

"I told you it was a gag."

"Where did they find this lady?" she laughed more.

"Well, step up. Don't be shy." The palm reader said. "I am Madame Katarina."

Steve nudged Trina forward. Trina was skeptical but decided it might be fun so she walked up to the table.

"What is your name?" Madame Katarina asked.

"Trina." She answered but silently thought that if this lady was legit she would know her name.

"Trina, let me see your hands." Madame Katarina said.

Trina held both her hands out and Madame Katarina grasped both her hands and closed her eyes, seeming to go into a short trance. She then opened her eyes and began studying Trina's hands.

"You are devastated at the fact you have never found true love." Madame Katarina said. "But you shouldn't give up, it is closer than you think."

Steve chuckled. "You probably tell something similar to all the single ladies. You're holding her hands, you can see and feel she doesn't have a wedding ring. So like all these fortune tellers, you start talking about tall, dark and handsome."

Madame Katarina looked at him, then reached out for his hand. She carefully traced the lines of his hand.

"You too have been hurt in your personal life, but the recent big changes you made in your life will help heal your heart." She said.

Steve raised an eyebrow. "Thank you, Madame Katarina." He said, but was skeptical.

Trina smiled at the palm reader as they made their way around the room. Mayor Bischoff spotted them making the rounds and hurried over to them.

"Detective Borden, could I see you for a moment?" the mayor asked.

"Of course. What can I do for you mayor?" Steve asked, keeping his arm around Trina.

"Oh good, you have Officer Conley with you." Bischoff said. "Any progress in the murder of those two girls?"

"Mayor, I don't believe this is the time or place to discuss an ongoing case." Steve said.

"Well I have been speaking with some of the members of the chamber of commerce and they are worried these murders are gonna affect tourism." Bischoff said.

"Mayor, I assure you we are doing everything we can." Trina said.

"I am confident in that, I have spoken to both Flair and Lawler. It's just….a huge chunk of this area's economy depends on tourism. If these murders scare people and they don't feel safe traveling here….we could lose a lot of money." Bischoff said.

"Mr. Bischoff, as she said we are doing all we can. Everyone is putting in long hours, tracking every lead and trying everything we can think of to help solve this case. We all understand that the safety of the public is first priority." Steve said.

"Just stay on it and keep me posted. We need this case closed quickly before it affects the local tourism." Bischoff said.

"We'll do that. Now if you'll excuse us, we were just about to step outside for a breath of fresh air." Steve said and guided Trina towards the door leading to the back patio.

They step out onto the patio, finding no one else was out there. It was a nice break from the crowd and noise inside.

"Can you believe him? What does he think we are doing?" Trina was annoyed with Bischoff.

"He was being a politician." Steve sighed.

"And what really pisses me off is that he is so worried about money and losing the support of the chamber of commerce. It doesn't seem to bother him a bit that two women have lost their lives, one family is grieving and another family that we can't find is trying to find their missing loved one." Trina said.

Steve smiled at her, proud of the way she put the victims first in a case and had compassion for the right people.

"What are you smiling at?" she asked him.

"Just enjoying you being you." He smiled.

"You know, I am really having a good time tonight. I am glad you asked me to come." She smiled.

"It is turning out to be a good night. Of course it's just because you are here with me." He winked.

"Oh please, if I wasn't here you would still have a good time." She chuckled.

"No, if you weren't here, I would be bored making small talk with people who have nothing in mind but votes and their own agendas." Steve wrapped his arm around her.

"Well I would be lying if I said I would enjoy being here without you." She admitted.

"Lucky we came together then." Steve tilted her head up.

He leaned in slowly, giving her plenty of time to pull away if she wanted. She leaned in closer to meet him halfway. Gently their lips met in a soft kiss; no pressure from either side just running their lips across each other's.

"That was….." Steve started.

"I can't believe you would say that!" Nikki stormed out onto the patio yelling at John who followed her out.

"You know how I feel." John said calmly.

"Let's get out of here before she starts the waterworks." Trina grabbed Steve's hand and pulled him around the arguing couple and back into the mayor's ball.

"Excuse me for a few minutes, I need to use the restroom." Trina smiled at Steve.

"I am going to say hi to a few people." Steve nodded as Trina hurried off to the ladies room.

She walked in and was relieved to find that there was no line. She quickly used the restroom and was careful to make sure her dress was neat before she left the stall. As she was washing her hands she saw Naomi Knight walk in. Naomi served on the city council in Parsons.

"Naomi, it is so good to see you!" Trina smiled.

"Trina, I saw you earlier." Naomi came over to hug her. "It has been too long since we had lunch together."

"Oh I completely agree. I just…..well things were so crazy. And now we got that double murder case." Trina said.

"By the way, who is the new man I saw you with earlier?" Naomi smiled.

"Steve Borden, the new county detective."

"I thought he looked familiar but I just couldn't place him. You two been together long?" she smiled.

"I'm not sure exactly what we are." Trina said. "Naomi, what do you think of dating an older man?"

"Honey, these days, if you find a good man who has a job, treats you right and doesn't run around on you, who cares about age!" Naomi chuckled.

"Well, I really like him….a lot. I guess I am just afraid of getting hurt again." Trina said.

"You'll never know if you don't take a chance. And don't let his age bother you. If you are happy that is what matters." Naomi said.

"I've missed spending time with you." Trina smiled.

"You needed time to heal. I understood." Naomi smiled back. "Call me soon and let's have lunch or go shopping."

"I would love that. I will call you soon. And say hi to Jimmy for me." Trina hugged her again.

Trina hurried back out into the conference room where she saw John Laurenitis had cornered Steve. She hurried over to rescue him.

2300 Hours

"It is getting late, you ready to head out?" Steve asked Trina as the party was winding down. They had spent a wonderful evening dancing, talking and making the rounds.

"Yes, Jerry took off a few minutes ago." She smiled.

"Come on, I will drive you home." Steve took her hand.

Together, they walked out of the resort waving goodbye to a few people as they walked. It had been a great evening. Both Steve and Trina had enjoyed spending the evening together and were feeling closer to the other, but neither spoke of it not wanting to make things uncomfortable.

Steve helped her into the passenger side of the Silverado and then climbed in the driver's side. He immediately took off his tux jacket and tossed it into the back of the cab. He started his truck and headed back towards Davis.

"Tonight was really fun. I got to see some people I hadn't seen in a while." She smiled.

"And listen to some crap that the politicians were spouting." Steve laughed.

"Laurenitis has always been as useless as a milk bucket under a bull." Trina said. "But I think overall it was….." her cell phone started ringing. She hurried and picked it up. "Conley…oh hell….we'll be right there….yeah we're on our way." She hung up. "That was Jerry. Some campers just called in and reported they found a dead body on Cheat Mountain on the Tucker County side."

"Not again." Steve sighed as he turned the truck towards Cheat Mountain.

"Jerry said it wasn't a usual camping area…guess it is some kids partying and camping. I know the area he told us to go." Trina said.

Steve followed the directions Trina gave him as he drove them towards Cheat Mountain. As they got off the main road, Trina was glad that Steve had 4 wheel drive as they had to go through some rough off-road to get to where they were instructed to go. As they pulled up, they could see Dolph, Seth and John had already arrived. Dolph and John were getting supplies out of the vehicles, including LED lanterns.

Trina and Steve climbed out of the Silverado. As they walked over Dolph and Seth immediately began whistles and catcalls at Trina being so dressed up.

"Okay boys, that is enough." She rolled her eyes.

"Never saw you dressed that way at a crime scene." Layfield joked.

"Now come on, she had a date." Seth smirked.

"Hope he liked that dress." Dolph winked.

"He did." Steve said as he draped his tux jacket over Trina's arms. "Now what is going on here?"

"The kids over there called it in." John pointed to a group of teenagers standing wide-eyed between two tents near a campfire. "Apparently one of the boys tried walking a long distance away to use the bathroom and found a dead body….minus a head."

"Oh no." Trina sighed. "We better get up there."

"I'll finish talking to the kids. They are pretty shook up." John said. "Seth, go with them."

The others began walking up the hill where the kids had said the body was. Trina was walking carefully due to her high heels but refusing to let that slow her down. Finally their lanterns shined upon a body lying between a couple trees.

"I think we can say for sure we have a serial killer on our hands now." Seth sighed.

"I'll start searching the perimeter. Trina, assist Dolph. I don't want you hurting yourself in those shoes." Steve said. He could see her starting to protest. "No arguments, besides the victim needs you now."

She nodded. "Dolph, what does it look like?" she asked as Steve used his lantern and began searching the area.

"No sign of decomp, skin is in good condition….she hasn't been dead very long." Dolph knelt down beside the victim.

"You sure it is female?" Trina asked.

"I can't say for sure until I do a full exam but the deceased is wearing female clothes, has manicured nails and full breasts." Dolph said.

Trina moved her lamp around the body. "No sign of blood. Just like the others."

"Based on her liver temp…..I'd say she's been dead 15-20 hours." Dolph said. "I'm gonna bag her hands."

"Dressed in casual clothes, shorts, sandals and Pink t-shirt from Victoria's Secrets." Trina said. "Caucasian, olive complexion."

"Based on just a visual inspection, I would say decapitation was done with same instrument as the previous two victims…but I won't know for sure until I get to the morgue." Dolph said.

"Tattoo on the ankle, vines and flowers. Might help in identifying her." She said.

"Seth, any signs of a bag, purse, anything?" Steve called out.

"No, not even garbage. This area isn't hiked on much." Seth called back.

"Let's get her to the morgue. I wanna get started on her autopsy. Gonna be a long night." Dolph said.

Steve walked over to stand near Trina as Seth helped Dolph with the body bag. "Ironic isn't it? Mayor Bischoff telling us about the pressure to solve this case and a few hours later we have a new victim." Steve shook his head.

June 28th, 0200 hours

Trina and Steve walked into the morgue. Both extremely tired, but pushing on with the case knowing time meant everything in an investigation. Both were still in their dress clothes from the party earlier that night. John had talked to the campers and found they had nothing to do with the murder, just happened to find the body. Seth had stayed behind with John searching even more of the area on Cheat Mountain.

"Dolph, what do you have for us?" Steve asked as they walked in. Dolph was pulling a sheet over the body as it laid out on his exam table.

"Well I got fingerprints for you to send to Charleston. The victim is indeed female." Dolph explained. "Based on her bones I'd say 18-22 years old."

"Rape kit?" Trina asked.

"Negative. No signs of semen in or on the body. No damage to the vaginal area or rectum. I also scraped under her fingernails, no foreign matter." Dolph said.

"Cause of death?" Steve asked.

"Strangulation, the same as Cheat Doe. Also she has no identifying marks other than the tattoo on her ankle and she has her belly button pierced. I estimate she is about 5 foot 2 inches tall." Dolph said. "Body appears healthy and tox screen is negative."

"How is this guy pulling this off so well? He is leaving us virtually no clues." Trina was getting frustrated.

"Serial cases are like that sometimes." Steve said.

"But people are dying and we're helpless to stop it." She sighed.

"Hang in there, we'll solve it. But you gotta keep your head in the right place." Steve said.

"You're both exhausted. Head on home and get some sleep. There isn't anything else we can do tonight." Dolph told them.

"That is a good idea. I will drive you home. In the morning I will fax her prints to Charleston myself." Steve said.

Trina nodded, realizing that her exhaustion was making her frustration worse. Dolph handed Steve a few folders and then they walked out of the morgue.

0230 Hours

Steve walked Trina up the sidewalk to her house. She unlocked the door and Jack immediately came to make sure she was okay and nothing was wrong.

"Are you sure you should drive home? You're exhausted. I don't want you falling asleep at the wheel. You are welcome to one of my guestrooms." She said.

"No, I will be fine. But thank you for the offer." He smiled.

"This is the first time I have ever had a date that included a crime scene." She said. "But before that, I had a wonderful evening. Thank you for that."

"I had a great time too before we were called out to work." He smiled.

She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. "I hope you ask me out again sometime. Goodnight."

"Sweet dreams." He smiled as she walked into the house.

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _A very long chapter but I just couldn't find a good way to divide it so I decided to kick off the weekend with a long chapter for my loyal reviewers and fans. Love my fans. Big thanks to cdajr, Debwood-1999 (I love that you keep track of clues and are trying to solve it. Awesome!), Batistasprincess (Another awesome fan keeping up with clues), jcott3 (I loved Gibson), carlyrosanna83 for all the great reviews. They keep me working fast!_


	13. Various Bonds, All Strong

1500 Hours

Trina was sitting on her living room couch with folders and papers spread out around her. It was her day off but she was working from home on the case. She was glad she had the day off after the long night she' had. When Jack started barking, she looked out the window and saw Steve's Silverado driving up the long driveway. She smiled, glad he was coming to spend some time with her, even if it was just to work on the roof of the barn.

Trina stood up and walked outside to greet Steve as he parked his truck. He climbed out of the truck and she hugged him. He kissed her cheek and gave Jack a quick pat to the head.

"How are you? Did you get some rest?" she asked.

"Yeah, I caught a few hours of sleep. How about you?" he asked.

"Oh I am fine. I slept in this morning." She shrugged. "Any news at work?"

"I faxed off the prints of our new Jane Doe. Ric and Jerry are both dealing with Bischoff who about flipped his lid when he found out there had been another murder." Steve said as he began gathering tools out of the bed of his truck.

"I have been looking over stuff this afternoon. It is so frustrating."

Steve looked at her, worried that a third murder would make her obsession with this case worse. "Trina, give it a bit of time. We might get a big break with this third victim."

Trina looked down. "Steve….I feel helpless. I feel like I can't protect my hometown…my own people."

Steve set his tools down and pulled Trina into a hug. "I know you feel a special obligation to protect the people here because it's your home. But that doesn't make you superman. You are already going above and beyond working this case. Just hang in there and something will break."

"I hope you're right." She rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm glad you're here. You help keep me grounded about this case."

"Truth is I was looking forward to seeing you today, even if it's just working on the barn." He chuckled.

"I better let you get to work. Is there anything I can do to help you?" she stepped back.

"No, I got this. You just enjoy your day off." Steve said.

"If you need anything just yell." She smiled. "Jack, stay with him."

Steve chuckled watching Trina walk back into the house but was surprised that Jack indeed did stay with him. He grabbed his tools and walked behind the house to the barn. The cats scattered away from him as they weren't used to him. He got the ladder from the barn and went to work.

An hour later Trina walked out on her back porch and sat down on the swing. She looked up on the barn roof and saw Steve working shirtless. She had come outside hoping to catch a few glimpses of him without his shirt. She enjoyed watching his muscles flex and contract as he worked. She smiled to herself, thinking that he did not look his age.

2000 Hours

Trina was once again seated on the swing on her back porch. Steve had finished working on the barn and had gone to take a quick shower in Trina's spare bathroom. She was sipping a glass of sweet tea while Jack laid quietly at her feet. A couple of the cats were walking along the railing around the porch.

Steve walked out onto the porch, freshly showered and wearing basketball shorts and a t-shirt. He sat down on the swing next to Trina, enjoying the peace and quiet of the evening.

"Not too much left to do on the roof. I should finish this week." He told her.

"I can't thank you enough for helping me with that." She smiled at him. "When this case is over, I am gonna look for me a horse. I haven't had one in years. And I still want to get a goat to name Daniel."

"I am glad to do it but you need to explain this goat joke to me. Besides, I like spending time with you." He winked.

"Things have been so hectic. You have hardly had time to get settled in."

"I am settled in just fine. I prefer to stay busy." Steve said. "But I do miss my kids. I know they are grown but…..I am used to seeing them."

"Have you heard from them?" Trina asked as she poured a glass of tea for him.

"Oh yeah, both boys have called. They are talking about coming for a visit around Labor Day." He took the glass of tea she handed him.

"That would be great. I am sure the guys would love to meet them."

"You mentioned you have some uncles and cousins. Do you get to see them very often?" he asked as he wrapped his arm around her.

"Not very often. They live in other parts of the state. We have a big family reunion every August. But it's hard to really be close to them when we're so far apart and don't see much of each other. Maybe that is why I want a family of my own so much." She sighed.

"Hey, it'll happen." He rubbed her arm.

"Yeah, so everyone keeps telling me. For a while I really thought Joe was it. I mean when we first started dating, he treated me like a queen. I literally had people tell me they could see how crazy about me he was. But then everything changed…and I mean everything." She said.

"How?"

"When we first started dating, he acted like money was no object. If I just looked at something he bought it for me, took me out to dinner often, anywhere I wanted to go, we'd go. Then all of a sudden he turned into a cheapskate. Like I told you before, I understood saving money because we wanted to buy a house. But he wouldn't listen to me about saving money by eating at home…yet wouldn't take me to the harvest festival because he claimed it was too expensive…it would've been like thirty bucks for both of us….of course I think that whore had something to do with that."

Steve stayed silent, realizing that Trina needed to vent and the more she talked, the more she would heal. He also felt proud that she felt comfortable enough with him to open up about what was obviously a painful subject.

"Speaking of family, when he first met my family last summer…he was great. He acted like a gentlemen, was sweet to everyone…..and they really liked him. But when a few of my cousins came in on a hunting trip in November…..he acted like an asshole the whole time they were in town. He purposely picked fights with me in front of them, acted like he didn't want to be around, and had a very arrogant attitude. It was so bad that when they left…they told me, point blank he was no longer welcome around them and for me not to bring him to any family events." She said. "It was about a week after that things turned violent."

Steve pulled her closer to him. "You know what I think? What I really think as a man and as a detective that has learned to read people?"

"What?" she looked up at him.

"From everything I have heard, I think that he is a man that can't handle dating a strong, intelligent woman. Joe is the type of man that wants a completely submissive partner and wants to be the leader, advisor and decision maker of a couple. And that when you guys first started dating, he put up a false front and hid his true personality. But when that woman came forward with that kid…it made his mask drop faster than it would have. And he also couldn't handle that you wouldn't be his puppet. He couldn't put nonsense over on you." Steve said.

"You may be right." She gave a small smile. "I always wanted a guy that would be a partner….you know work as a team, support each other and listen to each other. And I always felt he wanted a quiet submissive wife like from the 1800's or something."

"Any big plans for the 4th of July?" Steve asked, purposely trying to move towards a happier topic.

"Nothing yet. Hard to make any plans with this case going on. A few years ago John hosted a big cookout for the 4th of July." She shrugged.

"Does anywhere around here do a fireworks display?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, the resort usually does a nice show." She said. "Of course we usually end up with crazy calls that night, drunk drivers, noise complaints, you name it." She laughed.

"We had that a lot in LA too." Steve chuckled.

They fell into a pleasant silence just relaxing and sitting on the swing. Both were content with the other's company and were happy just relaxing together.

After about thirty minutes or so, Steve decided he should head home and make sure he got plenty of rest before the week started.

"I should head home. Get some rest. This week could be a long one." Steve said.

"That is probably a good idea. Guess I will see you tomorrow." She said as the two stood up.

"I'll be around the station tomorrow to see what else we can do for the case. But in the meantime, get some sleep and forget the case for a few hours." Steve smiled.

"I will. Thanks." She hugged him.

"Goodnight Trina." Steve gently kissed her.

"Goodnight." She smiled and watched as he walked down the steps, headed towards his truck.

June 29th, 0800 Hours

"Okay Conley, I want details. How was your date with Steve? I mean I saw you at the crime scene but obviously you guys had been on a date before that happened. By the way…you looked gorgeous. I think I forgot who Taylor Swift was for about ten minutes." Seth said as Trina arrived at work at the station.

"Can I sit down first?" She laughed. "And of course you forgot her because you were looking at a real woman for a change."

"Sit down then tell me everything." Seth said.

Trina rolled her eyes as she sat down at her desk. "We had a very nice evening." She simply said.

"That's it?" Seth asked.

"What did you want? A play by play of the entire night?" she teased.

"No, but come on…what was the date like?" Seth asked.

"We had a nice dinner. We danced, we talked to people and there was a magician." She snickered.

"You are holding out on me Trinvilla!" Seth said.

"Don't call me that!" she said.

"So nice to see co-workers getting along." Steve chuckled as he walked up to the desk. They hadn't noticed him come into the station.

"Seth is asking how the ball went." Trina chuckled.

"We had a nice time." Steve said, knowing Seth wanted details.

"You two...oh I'll just ask Jerry." Seth said, making Trina laugh more.

"So Trina, what do you say we talk to the park staff again? I have a hunch that the killer spends a lot of time at the park and your profile says they have a connection to it." Steve said.

"Sounds like a good idea to me. It certainly couldn't hurt." She said. "Let's go."

"Trina…don't forget later." Seth winked at her as she gathered her things.

"I won't, all ready." She smiled and hurried to follow Steve out of the station.

"What's going on later?" Steve asked as they walked towards the SUV from the Parsons PD that Steve had driven in.

"We're having a little celebration for Jerry. He has been with the Davis PD for 35 years this week." She smiled.

"That is nice. Mind if I join in?" Steve asked.

"The more the better. Besides, you enjoy working with Jerry too." She said as she climbed in the SUV.

"I do. He is a good guy, very down to earth." He said as he started the SUV.

"He has been great to work for." She agreed.

"Is it ever weird being the only female in the Davis department?" Steve asked as he drove towards Blackwater Falls State Park.

"Not really. I never really think of myself as the only woman, I am just part of the team." Trina shrugged. "Of course every time we arrest a female, I have to do the most of the dealing with her."

"Did you get some rest last night?" Steve asked.

"Yes, I was thinking about going out on the four wheeler for a bit tonight. Why don't you come with me?" she smiled.

"I haven't ridden four wheelers very much. Isn't the terrain around here pretty rough?" Steve asked.

"I am used to it. I am sure you would pick it up pretty quick." She smiled.

"We'll see what we get into today." Steve said.

As Steve arrived at the park, traffic into the park was slowed a bit due to the construction taking place in the park. The crew was busy working on one lane while the other lane was being used for traffic in both directions.

Steve parked the SUV in front of the Ranger's Station. They see Heath Slater step outside as they are climbing out of the SUV. They walked over to Heath.

"Heath, good morning." Trina smiled.

"Trina, Detective Borden, nice to see you. What can I do for you?" he asked.

"We just wanted to talk to you and the other rangers about the murders in Tucker County." Steve said.

"I read about the latest one in this morning's newspaper. I can't believe this is happening here." Heath said.

"I know, it is very unsettling." Trina sympathized with him.

"Mr. Slater, have you noticed anything or anyone unusual? I know you see different people through here all day every day but, anything stand out?" Steve asked.

"No, but with the construction going on everything is a bit different." Heath said.

"Heath, have you noticed any men hanging around the park a lot? Maybe watching females or even harassing females?" Trina asked.

"No and we haven't had any female guests or staff complain of harassment." Heath said. "Why? What does this have to do with the park?"

"We can't speak about an ongoing investigation." Steve said. "We'll need to speak with the other rangers as well."

1300 Hours

Steve and Trina hurried back to the Davis station after spending the morning at the park talking with all the rangers and then took time to talk to the park staff. They came away with nothing new and the park staff was extremely concerned about the safety of the tourists. They had quickly stopped off to pick up a few more things for Jerry's surprise party and then rushed back to Davis.

"Is Jerry here?" Steve asked.

"No, I just got a text from Seth telling me that Jerry was still at a meeting at city hall." Trina said as they both climbed out of the SUV carrying bags.

They went into the station and back to the break room. They found Seth and John setting out food in the break room. There was a vegetable platter, meat tray, cake and platter of appetizers.

"We brought drinks and hot wings." Trina said.

"He should be back soon. How did it go at the park?" John asked.

"Nothing new and their concerns are growing obviously. Trina maybe we should start looking into people who travel through here for business. Salesmen? Truckers? Any doctors that come in once a week or so?" Steve said.

"Salesmen and truckers yeah…..but I don't think doctors….I mean Dolph has said that the decapitation is crudely done. Surely a doctor wouldn't be so sloppy." She said.

"Okay…we'll start with salesmen and truckers. After the party I want to look at what companies have sales reps or truckers coming to or through Tucker County." Steve said and Trina nodded.

"Seth that is a beautiful cake." Trina said, looking at the cake Seth had bought. It had a picture of Jerry on one side and their department logo on the other.

"Yeah, that little bakery in town can do amazing things." Seth agreed.

"What is all this?" Steve looked at the appetizer tray.

"My wife made that up for us. It has a variety of pinwheels she makes. They are really good." Layfield said.

"He's here." Trina whispered, hearing Jerry walk in the front door of the station.

Jerry looked around the station seeing none of his team. It was near lunch time so he figured that they were in the break room. He turned and walked into the break room.

"Surprise!" they all yelled at him as he walked in.

He was startled and stared at his team. "Surprise what?"

"You didn't think we would forget that this week makes 35 years you have been with the Davis police did you?" Seth asked.

"It…..oh yeah. So much has been happening that I forgot myself." Jerry chuckled. "So this is a surprise."

Everyone took turns hugging Jerry and congratulating him on his milestone. The small team was proud of their chief and he was moved that they cared enough to surprise him with a small party.

"Dig in everyone, there is plenty of food." Seth said.

"You guys didn't have to do this. But thank you so much." Jerry said.

"Are you kidding? You are so important to us." Trina said.

"The food all looks good." Jerry smiled as everyone began filling plates from the food set up in the room.

Despite the large case looming over their heads, the mood in the break room was festive as they enjoyed the small gathering; laughing and sharing stories of Jerry over the years. He had joined the department as a rookie and worked his way up over the years. John had been with the Davis department for twenty years and had quite a few good stories to tell about Jerry.

"So Jerry has to arrest her, she's drunk as hell and offering sexual favors if he'd let her go." John is laughing as he tells a story about Jerry arresting a drunk tourist that had assaulted her husband in a fight. "This is back before Trina joined us, so we made sure we had witnesses when Jerry checked her for weapons. Bring her back to the station…crazy woman starts crying and singing 'Stand by Your Man'….totally off key and slurring. Our chief at the time, Jim Ross, is laughing his ass off. We get her booked and Jerry goes to take her to one of the cells and she vomits all over him…and keeps on singing."

"Why have I never heard this story before? That is hilarious." Trina said as Jerry rolled his eyes at the memory.

"Then there was the complaint about the woman in lingerie….remember her?" John laughed more.

"What is this?" Steve asked as he ate his meal.

"We get this call from a woman having a tantrum that her neighbor kept wearing lingerie and taking coffee and doughnuts to the bus stop to give to the bus driver when he picked up the kids in the morning." John laughed.

"She was dressing that way in front of children?" Seth was shocked.

"Yeah, so while she wasn't showing enough to be charged with indecent exposure, it was still highly inappropriate. It was Tami Sytch, you remember her." Jerry said.

"I knew she was a floozy but I didn't realize she took it that far." Trina was shocked.

"Anyways, I was a rookie…I go with Jerry to speak with her. We just wanted to share with her there had been some complaints and advise that if she had feelings for the bus driver to pursue him in some other way. Well she argued and carried on until we had to admit that she was not breaking any law. Then she says if she hasn't broken the law to leave. Next morning, she was out there again and the mom was calling and ranting again." John said.

"What finally happened?" Steve asked.

"When the upset mother found out there was nothing the police could do, she took it to the school board. Apparently a few other parents were complaining as well. So the school district reassigned the bus driver to a new route and put a female driver on the route past Tami's house." Jerry laughed.

"I think we all danced in the streets when Tami moved out of town." John said.

"Now I have heard everything." Steve shook his head. "Even in LA I never had a call like that." He laughed.

"I am stuffed and I didn't even get to try any of the pinwheels." Trina said.

"Take a few home with you. There are plenty." John said.

"This was very nice. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it." Jerry said.

"Well we were glad to do it. We are glad you enjoyed it." Seth said.

"I did. And I think it was a much needed break from the insanity going on around here lately." Jerry said.

"Speaking of which, I need to call Charleston and see if they have any news about the finger prints from our latest Jane Doe. And Steve we can look into those salesmen and truckers. Might take a while to compile a list." Trina said.

"Guess it's time to get back to work." Seth said.

"Thanks again for this. I can't explain how great it is to have a team like you guys." Jerry said.

1800 Hours

"I am heading home for the night. Charleston didn't get a hit on her prints and we have basically nothing to go on so for now our newest victim remains a Jane Doe." Trina said as she shut down her computer. "And Steve spent hours calling local businesses that get regular deliveries….we'll probably pick that up tomorrow."

"Don't forget your doggy bag in the break room. I put a bunch of the pinwheels aside for you to take home." John said.

"Thanks. Steve called a bit ago. He is gonna talk to Dolph about maybe running the DNA of Jane Doe and Cheat Doe through the system. See if even we can get a hit on their matrilineal DNA." Trina stood up.

"You really like him." John commented.

"I….don't know." She admitted. "I love spending time with him. And he has been just wonderful….couldn't ask for a better guy. But I am so afraid of getting hurt again." Trina said.

John sat back in his chair. "I don't see Steve as the kind of guy to play games or turn violent." John said.

"I don't either…but, it's hard to explain." Trina sighed.

"Hey, don't rush into anything. Take time and see what happens." John said. "Now go on home and enjoy your evening."

Trina smiled. "Thanks. Gonna grab my doggy bag and run. I wanna take the four wheeler out tonight. And Jack would enjoy it."

"Go have fun. Watch out for snakes. In this heat they are everywhere." John said.

1900 Hours

Steve drove his Silverado up the long driveway towards Trina's house. After finishing things up in Parsons, he had driven home to change clothes and then decided to visit Trina since it wasn't too late. Maybe they would go four wheeling like she had mentioned earlier. He saw her Jeep parked in the driveway so he knew she was home.

As he stepped out of his truck, he could hear Jack howling inside the house. Steve was a bit shocked, Jack was always well behaved and Trina never let him bark without reason. Steve walked to the front door and knocked. He could hear Jack furiously scratching on the door as he barked and howled. Steve tried the door knob and found it locked. Getting no answer, Steve pulled out his cell phone and called Trina's cell phone. He got no answer on the phone either.

Steve walked around the house and knocked on the back door. Jack had run through the house and was now scratching on the back door and howling. Steve frowned as he again got no answer. He knew Trina was home; her Jeep was in the driveway and she always took Jack with her when she went four wheeling. He tried the door and found it was locked the same as the front door.

He walked over to the window and peeked inside. The curtains were open and he saw Trina lying unconscious on the kitchen floor.

To Be Continued…..

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _Lots happening in this chapter and a cliffhanger. Love all the reviews. Seriously the best inspiration for authors. Thank you my awesome reviewers: jcott3 (I am sure your opinion of their relationship will change.), Batistasprincess (yes I do listen to music and it varies from story to story. For this story I have been listening to a lot of country music. My last story I listened to lots of 80s music.), Debwood-1999 (I just had this image in my mind of her not having time to change clothes.), Carlyrosanna83, and Cinnamon Muffin Punk._


	14. Hospitals and Big Decisions

_Steve walked around the house and knocked on the back door. Jack had run through the house and was now scratching on the back door and howling. Steve frowned as he again got no answer. He knew Trina was home; her Jeep was in the driveway and she always took Jack with her when she went four wheeling. He tried the door and found it was locked the same as the front door._

 _He walked over to the window and peeked inside. The curtains were open and he saw Trina lying unconscious on the kitchen floor._

He hurried back over to the back door and began throwing his weight against the door. Jack continued to bark loudly. He was finally able to break through the lock and get into the kitchen.

"Trina, Trina!" Steve called her name as he knelt beside her.

She didn't respond. He could hear that she was struggling to breathe and her lips were swollen. He reached down and felt her pulse on her wrist and it was very rapid. He pulled his cell phone back out and quickly dialed 911.

"Yes, I need an ambulance. I found my friend unconscious, struggling to breath. She has a pulse and it is very rapid. Lips are swollen." Steve said into the phone as he spoke with the dispatcher. He noticed that Jack had calmed down and was lying quietly beside Trina. "No, I don't know any of that. She was fine when I saw her earlier, then I found her unconscious. Just get some help over here." Steve said and gave them her address.

He hung up his phone and looked Trina over for any marks, trying to figure out what had happened to her. He saw no marks around her head or neck and the house was locked tight so he ruled out assault. Jack stayed beside her.

"What happened to her boy?" Steve asked the dog as he checked her feet and ankles for snakebites, thinking maybe a snake had bitten her in the yard.

After what seemed like forever but in reality was only a few minutes, he heard the sirens indicating that EMS was on the way. Steve rushed into the yard and directed the paramedics into the kitchen. He had to hurry back inside and pull Jack away because the coydog was growling and wouldn't let the strangers near Trina.

"They're gonna help her. It's okay." Steve said to Jack as he pulled him into the living room.

The paramedics immediately began assessing Trina. Using a tongue depressor and a light they looked into her mouth.

"Throat is swollen. Get oxygen on her. Pulse is rapid." The younger paramedic said. His badge read 'Ryder'.

"Blood pressure is low. Appears to be in anaphylactic shock." The older paramedic said. His badge read 'Irvine'.

"We need to get her stabilized for transport." Ryder said as Irvine put an oxygen mask on Trina.

"I'll ride to the hospital with her." Steve said.

"Okay, she doesn't have any family." Ryder said as he took the backboard off the stretcher.

"Get an epinephrine injection, see if she responds." Irvine said.

Steve watched as they loaded Trina onto the stretcher and secured her. He hurried and fixed her door as best he could, at least getting it to lock using the deadbolt. When he walked into the yard he saw them loading Trina into the ambulance. He climbed into the front seat as Irvine climbed into the driver's seat. Steve looked back and saw Ryder continued to monitor Trina's breathing.

"Don't worry, she'll be okay." Irvine told him, seeing the worry on Steve's face.

Irvine pulled the ambulance away from her house and started towards the hospital. Steve pulled out his cell phone again.

"Jerry, its Steve…..Trina is on her way to the hospital." Steve said.

"What in the world happened?" Jerry asked.

"I don't know. When I got to her house she was unconscious and having difficulty breathing. EMS says it's most likely anaphylactic shock." Steve sighed. "I'm going with her."

"We'll meet you there." Jerry said and hung up.

Steve looked back at Trina again. He was glad her team mates would be coming to the hospital. He could see how close they all were.

The ambulance pulled into the unloading zone outside the emergency room at Davis Medical Center. Irvine was quick to get out and assist Ryder as they moved Trina into the ER. Steve followed close behind them. They took her to the back to be worked on and told Steve to stay in the waiting room. He had barely sat down when he saw Layfield and Lawler rushing into the ER as well.

"How is she?" Jerry asked.

"They have her in the back working on her." Steve said. "Where is Seth?"

"At the station, made us promise to call as soon as we knew something but we practically had to sit on him to get him to stay at the station." John said. "Do they know what happened?"

"No, they said something about giving her epinephrine." Steve said. "She was struggling to breathe and her lips were swollen. They said her blood pressure was low."

"She was fine earlier." John said.

"I know, I don't know what happened." Steve said.

"Luckily you went to visit her." Jerry said.

"Yeah, just wish I had gotten there sooner." Steve said, his eyes on the doors to the ER.

Jerry and John could tell that Steve really cared about Trina. The three men sat quietly waiting for the doctors to tell them something. The ER was surprisingly quiet that night as they waited.

After about an hour, a doctor finally came out to speak to them. Jerry jumped up, obviously recognizing the doctor.

"Kerry, how is she?" Jerry quickly asked.

"Calm down, she is going to be okay. I have been working with her for the past hour. You are listed as her emergency contact so I can talk with you." Dr. Von Erich said.

"How is she doing? Is she breathing better?" Steve asked, still worried.

"Dr. Von Erich, this is Detective Steve Borden. He is the one that found Trina." Jerry said.

"Nice to meet you. Trina is breathing better. She was in anaphylactic shock, however we have been unable to find what caused the allergic reaction. We have checked her from head to toe and found no stings or snakebites. It may be from food. Is she allergic to any food?" Dr. Von Erich asked.

"She is allergic to banana peppers. She mentioned it to me once." Steve said.

"Shit! I didn't know that!" John said, obviously upset. "A few of the pinwheels my wife made…the ones with the ranch flavor…they have banana peppers chopped up in them."

"She must have ate them once she got home." Jerry said.

"Food allergy….okay." Kerry made some notes on his clipboard. "The good news is she is responding to the medication. She is breathing easier but we are still giving her oxygen. We have managed to get her pulse and blood pressure back to almost normal. She began running a fever but that is normal in this case. She is awake but a little out of it due to the medication. We will be keeping her at least over night to monitor and keep giving her meds. She is being moved to a regular room."

"Can we see her?" Steve asked.

"Once she is settled in her room you can. I better get back to her." Dr. Von Erich said and left them as he headed back into the ER.

"I am glad she will be okay." Jerry said.

"Me too. Damn, I wish I had known about her allergy to peppers." John said.

"The important thing is she is okay." Steve said.

After about another fifteen minutes, hospital staff told them Trina was settled into her room upstairs and that they could go see her. The three men took the elevator upstairs and found the room they had been directed to. They walked in and found Trina on the bed wearing a hospital gown, a nasal cannulas on to provide her with extra oxygen and an IV in her left hand.

"Trina?" Jerry spoke as they walked over to the bed.

She slowly opened her eyes and managed a small smile. "Hey guys."

"How do you feel?" Jerry asked.

"My throat still hurts." She said. "Steve, they told me you found me."

"Yeah, I had stopped by to see you….Jack was flipping out. He knew something was wrong with you." Steve said.

"Jack is very smart." Trina said. "Dr. Von Erich told me I had an allergic reaction to food."

"Yeah, those pinwheels you took home. They had banana peppers chopped up in them. I didn't know you were allergic. I am so sorry." John said quietly.

"Hey, it's not your fault. I know my own allergies. It is my fault for not asking what was in something before eating it." Trina said.

"What happened? Do you remember getting sick?" Steve asked.

"When I got home, I ate a few pinwheels as a snack. I went to change clothes and my throat started hurting and I was feeling dizzy. I walked into the kitchen….I don't remember anything else." She said.

"I found you in the kitchen. Jack was howling and carrying on…like he was trying to alert someone you were sick. I had to break through the lock on the back door to get in. I'll fix it." Steve said.

"Don't worry about the door. I am just glad you got me help. Thank you." She gave a weak smile and took Steve's hand.

"We better leave and let you get some rest. I better call Seth before he worries himself to death. He wouldn't know what to do with himself if he didn't have you to fuss with." Jerry chuckled.

"And I'll be back in the morning to get you when you are released." Steve kissed her forehead.

"Thank you." She smiled.

"Get some rest. Call one of us if you need anything during the night." John hugged her.

"I will. Goodnight." She said, obviously tired from the drugs in her system.

The three men left her room and walked down the hall towards the elevators. They were glad she was going to be okay.

"I need to pick up my truck. It is at Trina's place." Steve said as they stepped onto the elevator.

"I'll give you a lift out there." John said, pushing the button.

"Let us know how she is doing in the morning. If she needs anything, we're there." Jerry said.

"I will." Steve nodded as they stepped off the elevator.

Then walked to the parking lot and waved goodbye to each other. Steve got in the passenger side of John's SUV. John started the vehicle and started out towards Trina's farm.

"I've noticed you and Trina have gotten very close." John said.

"She's really something…although I still worry about the way she obsesses about this case." Steve said.

"There is a pretty big age gap between you two. You could be her father." John pointed out.

Steve sighed. "I never gave much thought to our age differences. I want to see where things go with her…but I am worried I will just be a rebound from Joe." He sighed again. "And after my divorce, I wonder if I even should bother."

John glanced at Steve. "Trina has a really big heart and a lot of love to give. We worry about her getting hurt again. But a guy like you might be just what she needs."

"What do you mean?" Steve looked over at him.

"Someone who is mature and won't play games. Someone who is looking for something stable and means it….isn't just saying that and then becomes a jackass." John said.

"I really care about her. She has so many things I find endearing…..all that country music, or how down to earth and real she is, or when she is goofing around with Seth, or the crazy things she says that I am not expecting." Steve smiled.

John found himself smiling. "Well, if you truly want a relationship with her…I think she could make any man with half a brain happy." John said as he turned into the long driveway leading to Trina's farm. "But if you don't want anything serious with her, break away now before she gets hurt."

"I guess I have some thinking to do tonight." Steve said as John stopped the SUV.

"Talk to you tomorrow. Let us know how she is doing." John said as Steve got out of the SUV.

Steve nodded and waved goodbye as John started back down the driveway.

June 30th, 0730 Hours

Seth walked into Trina's room and saw her asleep. She still had oxygen on and the IV in her hand. He sat down by her bed not wanting to wake her but she must've heard him because her eyes opened.

"Seth? What are you doing here?" she looked over at him.

"Decided to stop on my way home from the station. You didn't think I'd miss a chance to flirt with a hot nurse or two did you?" Seth winked.

"Forget it Rollins, my nurse is new and is some big girl with black and white extensions. She could throw you out the window with one hand. Nice lady but you better stick to bimbos that secretly lust for Justin Bieber." Trina chuckled.

"You must be feeling better if you are picking on Taylor Swift and for the record she never went out with Justin Bieber." Seth smiled.

"Wow…..he is too annoying for even Taylor Swift." She laughed.

"You look good." Seth said.

"What?"

"With your lips all swollen…it looks like you had those fancy injections. You have that sexy pouty look going." Seth smiled.

"I think I look like I was punched in the mouth." She rolled her eyes.

"Oh no…women are paying for this look." He winked again.

"Remind me to call your mom and ask her if she dropped you on your head as a child." Trina shook her head.

"They still letting you out today?" Seth asked.

"Yeah, Steve is coming by later to take me home." She said.

"Jerry tells me you two had quite the date at the Mayor's ball…dinner, dancing, smiling a lot." Seth said. "And?"

"And what? It was a party, what did you expect?" she answered, knowing he was fishing for info again.

"Come on Trina, you and Steve been hanging out a lot. He is even the one that found you passed out yesterday." Seth said.

"What is your point?" she asked.

"I'll call Naomi, she'll know the good gossip, she was at the ball too." Seth said. "I better get home. I am exhausted."

"Get some rest, with me out a day or two Jerry will need you." She said as Seth stood up. "And Seth?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for coming to check on me." She smiled.

"Anything for my favorite female officer." He kissed her cheek. "Call if you need anything."

She nodded as she watched him walk out of her room.

0900 Hours

Steve arrived at Davis Medical Center to take Trina home. He had called her earlier to check with her and she told him the doctors had cleared her to go home. After calling the Davis PD to let her teammates know how she was doing, he had driven to the hospital.

He walked into her room and found Trina sitting on her bed dressed in her own clothes. She looked tired but the swelling around her lips had decreased a lot. She smiled at him as he walked in.

"Steve, I am so glad you are here." She said as he hugged her.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"I feel tired but the doctor said that is the medicine. My blood pressure is normal, pulse is normal. Throat still hurts." She said. "Doctor was here a bit ago and gave me my meds to take home. I already signed out. And I fussed enough that they won't be making me ride in a wheelchair."

"Let's go, I am sure you are anxious to rest in your own bed." Steve said.

"Yes and I want to shower." She said as he wrapped his arm around her.

He walked with her down the hall and onto the elevator, then out of the hospital to his truck. He helped her in the passenger seat and then climbed in himself. He pointed the truck towards her farm as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"Seth stopped in to see me this morning." She said.

"Doesn't surprise me. You two are close friends." Steve smiled.

"Big goof told me that with my lips swollen it looked like I had collagen injections. He said it gave me a sexy pouty look." She chuckled.

Steve laughed. "I would be inclined to agree with Seth."

"Well enjoy it while you can, because I can't wait for the swelling to be all gone and feel normal again." She said.

Steve reached over and took her hand. "You are beautiful with or without swollen lips." He kissed the back of her hand.

She smiled and squeezed his hand. She closed her eyes and relaxed the rest of the short drive to her house.

When they arrived at her house, Steve helped her inside. Jack immediately came up to her wagging his tail.

"Hi my baby." She kneeled down to hug him. "Steve said you were so upset that mommy was sick."

Steve smiled seeing her interact with her pet. Jack seemed glad that Trina was home. She stood back up. "I am going to take a shower."

"Go ahead. I am gonna see what I can do about your door." Steve smiled.

Trina walked upstairs to her bathroom. She was so glad to be home. She shut the door and sat down on the edge of the tub. She reached in and turned on the water and adjusted the temperature. She stripped off her clothes and climbed into the shower.

Downstairs Steve looked at the door. A bit of the frame had broken when he forced the lock. He decided to put in a new door frame as soon as he had the chance. Upstairs he heard the shower shut off and figured that Trina was done with her shower. He got her a glass of water and grabbed the paper bag that contained her medicine.

He walked into her bedroom and saw her dressed in a cotton nightgown climbing into her bed. Jack was resting on the floor at the foot of her bed.

"Brought you your meds. I am going to work for a bit." Steve said.

"Okay, I will probably sleep most of the day. Thank you, for everything." She took his hand.

He sat down on the bed by her. "You call me if you need anything today."

She chuckled. "I can take care of myself."

"I like taking care of you." Steve smiled. "Do your lips hurt?"

"A little, but not bad." She said.

Steve leaned forward and gently gave her a quick kiss. "I'll be back after work."

She smiled and nodded. Steve stood up and walked downstairs. He made sure to lock the doors before he left.

Steve drove to the Davis police station. He wanted to finish his work for the day and then get back to Trina. He chuckled to himself realizing it had been a long time since he was anxious to get home to a woman. He walked into the building to find John working at a computer with Jerry looking over his shoulder.

Jerry looked up as he walked in. "Hey, get our girl all settled in?"

"Yeah, the meds are making her tired so she said she was gonna sleep." Steve said. "What's the latest on the case?"

"Just spoke with the Morgantown police. They have still haven't had a person reported missing that fits the description of Cheat Doe." Jerry said. "They said they are still posting the picture Kofi drew around the area."

"I am starting to wonder if maybe she lied when she told Robert Gibson she was from Morgantown." John said.

"That is a possibility." Steve agreed. "I have also been thinking, maybe she is a college student…WVU is right there. With it being summer, maybe no one has noticed she is missing yet."

"That sounds reasonable too. Guess we will have to wait until someone reports her missing somewhere." Jerry sighed.

"How long are we going to leave her unclaimed?" Steve said.

"Dolph will make sure she is well cared for. He has wonderful compassion, which is why Trina gets along with him so well. He will pull whatever strings he has to in order to ensure that she is given a proper burial should it become needed." John said.

"Most states do cremation for unclaimed persons." Steve said.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to having to make a decision about it and we can return her to her loved ones." Jerry said. "I'll be in my office."

They watched as Jerry walked into his office and closed the door. They could tell this case was getting to him more than he was letting on.

"Any new leads on our other Jane Doe?" Steve asked.

"No, it's frustrating. But I guess with this being a tourist area and so many people from all over coming through here it is going to take him." Layfield said.

Steve sat down in the seat across the desk from John. "I thought a lot about what you said last night."

"Figure anything out?" John asked.

"I spent a long time thinking last night. And I realized that I have feelings for Trina. And I'd like to see where it could lead." Steve said. "Guess in life you gotta take risks."

"Just be careful. Trina has been through a lot and she is very special to us. None of us want to see her hurt. Not that I think you would do it on purpose." John said.

1900 Hours

Steve pulled his Silverado up behind Trina's Jeep in her driveway and parked it. He could see her sitting on the front porch on the swing reading a book while Jack rested on the steps. Steve grabbed a few bags and hopped out of the truck and walked towards the front porch. As he got closer he could see an orange tabby cat curled up on her lap as she read. He was glad that she was feeling better and was out of bed.

"Hey there. How you feeling?" Steve smiled as he walked up onto the porch.

"Better. I slept most of the day. Decided to come outside and relax and read while I had the chance." She smiled up at him. "What's in the bags?"

"I picked us up some dinner and grabbed a movie out of one of those Redbox things." Steve said. "Who's your orange friend?"

"This is Horatio. I named him after the guy on that cop show. He is an adorable little guy. Very sweet." She gently patted the cat. "How is the case going?"

"Well no ID on our two victims yet. Layfield helped me check out several long haul drivers with routes through the area and none of them have records of violence. But I will keep looking tomorrow." Steve said.

"I hope something breaks soon." She said.

"You hungry?" he asked.

"Yeah, what did you get?" she smiled as she gently set the cat aside and stood up.

"Picked up some sandwiches from the deli in town. Come on." Steve said.

Trina followed Steve into her house and into the kitchen. He went into the living room to set up dinner, while she went to the kitchen to wash her hands. When she returned to the kitchen Steve had pulled a few sandwiches out of the bags and set them on the coffee table.

"What did you rent?" she asked.

"Some action movie. Has that Liam guy you like so much in it." He shrugged.

"Sounds great, I love his movies." She sat down beside Steve.

"And I double checked with the deli and nothing I bought has any peppers in it." Steve said.

"Thank you. I actually feel a bit foolish that I didn't ask what was in those pinwheels yesterday." She sighed.

"It happens. The important thing is you got medical care before any serious damage was done." Steve took her hand. "But please don't scare me like that again."

"I won't. And the ER doctor gave me a prescription for an epi-pen should something happen again." She said. "Now let's watch some Neeson ass kicking."

Steve chuckled at her as she grabbed the TV remote. He unwrapped a sandwich and handed one to her as they sat back to begin the movie.

As the movie played, they both enjoyed their dinner from the deli. Trina was still careful due to the swelling in her lips, even though it had lessened from the night before. When they finished their food, Steve loosely took Trina's hand as they watched the movie.

"I got lost somewhere in this movie. A drug dealer went to him for help…his wife was dead….and what does the body parts in the garbage have to do with anything?" Trina fussed at the movie. "And who is this bird guy?"

"Okay I think the drug dealer went to him because he couldn't go to the police….and the body parts led Neeson to the bird guy." Steve said as he watched the movie.

"I know this is a movie so it's overly dramatic…but ever see anything like this in LA?" she asked.

"Had several gruesome crimes, but like you said this is a movie. Besides, I don't want to talk work, its nice just being with you." He smiled.

"Well aren't you just charming tonight?" she giggled.

"Does it bother you?" Steve asked.

"No, it feels nice." She smiled and kissed his cheek.

 _Song Inspiration for this chapter: 'Tougher Than The Rest' by Chris Ledoux (or Bruce Springsteen but I listened to the Ledoux version)_

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _Love my reviewers. You are making working on this story ten times more fun than I thought it would be. Love you guys. Thanks to Debwood-1999 (Sunny has always been a hot mess, lol), cdajr, Paisley2 (Welcome back! Glad you are developing theories. And glad you are enjoying Seth!), carlyrosanna83, Batistasprincess, jcott3 (I just had to give JR a nod and yes that was Sunny.), and Cinnamon Muffin Punk for the feedback!_


	15. Back to Work

July 1st, 0800 Hours

Trina walked into the Davis police station, glad to be returning to work. She hated missing work. As she walked towards her desk, Seth came out of the break room and immediately made a beeline for her.

"Don't you ever do that again!" he said as he hugged her. "I'd spank you but you might like it."

"Sounds kinky." She giggled. "I am sorry I scared you."

"Don't do it again!" Seth hugged her again.

"I won't." she said. "Do you have a few minutes before you go home to rest?"

"Sure, what do you need?" Seth asked.

"Come on, I need to have a girl talk." She took his arm and led him back towards the break room.

"Should I put on a bra and take some Midol?" he laughed.

"No, I just need to talk to a friend." She said as they sat down at the table.

"Oh good, I don't know what cup size I am anyways." Seth joked. "What's going on?"

"Well, Steve and I have been spending a lot of time together lately…and I am really getting attached to him." She said.

"Steve is a pretty good guy. What's the problem?"

She looked down and sighed. "Because the last time I let myself fall in love I ended up very hurt and angry."

"There are no guarantees in life. And love is about the scariest thing there is. But if you don't take a chance, you are gonna end up old, alone and full of regret." Seth said. "Take a chance. Go slow and see where things go."

Trina smiled. "You're right. When did you get wise? Besides, being with Steve makes me so happy."

"This is just like 'Friends' when Monica dated Richard. A cute young woman….a divorced older man." Seth chuckled.

"Oh no, you know I hate that stupid show!" Trina rolled her eyes.

"Come on, the show was not that bad!" Seth laughed.

"The hell it wasn't! That stupid bitch Rachel needed her ass kicked! First of all, I totally take Ross' side in the 'we were on a break' argument. Once you say we need a break, you have no right to call it cheating when he sleeps with someone else. It'd have been different if Rachel used the argument 'I can't believe you slept with someone so soon after a break up.' But it wasn't really cheating because she said she wanted a break. And don't even get me started on how she ruined his marriage to that British chick. If I had been that British girl, I'd have kicked her ass for ruining my wedding, kicked her ass again for trying to go on my honeymoon with my husband and then kicked her ass again for good measure and told her to stay the hell away from my man!" Trina said as Seth cracked up.

"You might be the only person in America that wasn't rooting for Ross and Rachel." Seth laughed.

"Oh please, she was a selfish bitch. She didn't want him but wouldn't let him move on either." Trina said.

"I apparently walked in at the wrong moment." Layfield said as he stood in the doorway to the break room.

"Just Trina expressing her no holds barred opinions." Seth chuckled. "I swear I am gonna marry her someday."

"Just what I need….a wedding with Taylor Swift music." She laughed.

"It's a love story baby just say yes." Seth said and winked. Trina groaned and laid her head down on the table.

"You two spend way too much time together." John laughed. "How you feel?"

"Much better. And my lips are back to mostly normal." She said.

"Trina, Steve is here." Jerry walked in.

"Better see what he wants." She stood up.

"Oh come on, you know what he wants." Seth winked.

"Remind me to strangle you later." She glared but blushed.

Trina walked out of the break room to find Steve standing at her desk. He smiled as she walked towards him.

"Wanna head out to the park with me? I called Dolph and he is gonna meet me there. We're gonna take voluntary DNA samples from the rangers and park staff for elimination purposes." Steve said.

"Sounds like a plan. At least we would be doing something, although I doubt it's any of the people at the park." Trina said.

"Better to be safe than sorry." Steve said.

"Let's head to the park then." She smiled.

0900 Hours

Steve, Dolph and Trina were in the Ranger's Station as Dolph took mouth swabs of the rangers for DNA comparison. The rangers had all quickly agreed to voluntarily giving a DNA sample for elimination.

"I wish there was more we could do to help." Ranger Tommy Rich said.

"Just keep an eye on things and helping us when you can is a great help." Trina assured him.

"I hope you guys catch this creep soon. I am scared to let my kids out of my sight." Ranger Foley said.

"We are doing everything we can." Steve assured him.

"We need to speak with the park staff as well, male staff only. We are hoping they will also volunteer for DNA elimination." Dolph said.

"I'll call the lodge and have the male staff gather there." Ranger Jake Roberts said.

"And again, thank you guys for cooperating." Steve said.

"We have nothing to hide." Ranger Slater said as Jake called the lodge.

"Remember, if you see anything strange, no matter how insignificant you think it may be, let us know." Trina said.

"The male staff will be waiting for you at the lodge." Jake said as Dolph packed all the samples he had taken carefully in his kit.

"Thank you. Have a good day gentlemen." Dolph said.

They nodded to the others as they walked out of the station and headed towards the lodge. As they were walking Steve noticed the construction crew had completed part of the road and was now working near the ranger's station.

"I think we should take samples from the construction crew as well." Steve said.

"Really?" Trina looked at him.

"They are at this park every day. And they aren't locals, they are a contracted crew from out of town." Steve said.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt." Trina said. "And you make a good point."

"Dolph, that okay with you?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, anything we can do to solve this case, I am all for." He said. "Let's talk to them before we go to the lodge."

The three of them walked the short distance down the road to where the construction crew was working. Several of the crew saw them approaching and walked over to talk with them.

"Good morning gentlemen. How are you doing today?" Steve greeted.

"Working hard. What's going on?" Simmons asked.

"I talked with you gentlemen a few weeks back. We are still working on the homicides of the women found in Tucker County. This is Detective Steve Borden and Dolph Ziggler our medical examiner." She said.

"What does that have to do with us?" Swagger asked.

"We'd like a few minutes to speak with each of you. And we'd like to take a DNA sample from each of you for elimination purposes." Steve said.

"Do you have a warrant?" Jacobs asked.

"No, submitting a DNA sample is voluntary at this point." Steve said.

"We're trying to eliminate all the males working in the park." Dolph explained. "I would just swab your cheek. It is painless."

"Why men that work at the park?" Sheffield asked.

"We can't comment on that at this time due to the ongoing investigation." Steve said.

"Sure, I got nothing to hide." Swagger said.

"Me too, whatever helps you guys out." Simmons said.

"You want my DNA, you need a warrant. Sorry guys." Jacobs said.

"This is just to eliminate you as a suspect." Dolph said.

"I don't believe in letting authorities have my DNA without a reason. I didn't do anything so why put my DNA out there to possibly get messed up in a lab error and then be on trial for something I didn't do." Jacobs said.

The three county employees looked at each other, not sure what to make of the towering man.

"I'm gonna have to say no to a DNA swab too." Callous said, making everyone turn to look at him.

"Mark, what the hell? Just help the police out." Sheffield said.

"No way. Right now I am trying to avoid a woman who is trying to pin a baby on me and I don't want my DNA in the system. I don't want her to be able to find me with that kid…which I don't think is mine, but why risk it." Mark crossed his arms.

"Your sample would just be compared to evidence in the case. Even if this woman tracked you here and contacted us, we couldn't hand over your DNA to her." Dolph said.

"Ain't risking it. Bitches pull crazy stunts to get child support and welfare checks." Mark said.

"Okay, well that is your choice. But we'd still like to ask you a few questions." Steve said.

"Questions are fine." Glenn said.

"Yeah me too." Mark agreed.

"Trina, you take those two. Dolph and I will talk to the others and get their DNA." Steve said.

She nodded. As Steve and Dolph took the other three aside, she stayed to speak with Mark and Glenn, feeling quite short standing between the two giant men.

"Have either of you noticed anyone hanging around the park, acting strangely or harassing females?" she asked.

"Not really. A few days ago a couple had a knock down drag out while waiting in traffic and the girl and guy both got out of the car screaming…but finally got back in and drove off when traffic began moving." Glenn said.

"I'd have to agree, nothing unusual. But we've been focusing on work, not people coming and going." Mark said.

"Have you noticed any females that appeared to be distressed?" she asked.

"Nope, but like he said, we're working not gawking." Glenn said.

"Have either of you had any females approach you asking for transportation?" she asked. "Either here at the park or around town?"

"No, but then again…after working all day I usually go back to the motel and unwind. I haven't spent much time around town." Jacobs answered.

"And I haven't noticed anybody looking for a ride." Callous said.

Trina made a few notes on her notepad. "Since getting to Tucker County have either of you had romantic encounters with ladies you have met here?"

"You mean hookers?" Callous crossed his arms over his chest.

"I mean any type of encounter….hookers, a one night stand with someone you met in a bar, a quickie at a rest stop, whatever." She answered.

"Like I said, after work I go to relax." Jacobs told her.

"And I ain't risking someone else trying to pin a kid on me." Callous said.

"Okay, well if you hear or see anything unusual, call the Davis police or the sheriff's office. Even if you think it's not important. You never know what might help the case." She said.

"What evidence do you have on this guy?" Mark asked.

"We can't comment on that, the investigation is ongoing." She said. "Thank you for your time, I will let you get back to work."

Trina watched the two men go back to work. Steve and Dolph were finishing up with the three men willing to submit a DNA sample.

1200 Hours

Trina walked into the David Police Station with Steve beside her. They had finished their time at the park by talking with the males that worked throughout the park and taking DNA samples from them, all those men were willing to give a sample.

"Okay, spit it out." Steve said.

"What?" she looked over at him.

"You have something on your mind. I can always tell because when something is on your mind you ignore the radio and get this look on your face like you are annoyed but daydreaming." Steve chuckled.

She stared at him then chuckled herself. "You are so observant. I am still thinking of those two men on the construction crew that refused to give DNA samples."

"You think they may be hiding something?" Steve asked.

"I don't know. It's just that everyone else has been willing to help in any way they can. Yet those two threw up a roadblock." Trina frowned.

"Why don't we run their names through the computer, see what we can find on them?" Steve asked.

"Sure, at least it would tell us if either of them have a record." She agreed.

"I'll get us a snack, you start searching the computer." Steve smiled at her.

Trina went to her desk and pulled up the database she was looking for. Steve came out of the break room and handed her a bottle of water and a bag of chips before sitting down beside her. She began typing away looking for information on Glenn Jacobs.

"Looks like he had a few brawls back in his younger days." Steve read off the screen as information popped up.

"None of them with women." She noted.

"Clean record for the past 10 years." Steve said. "Try Callous."

She typed in the information for Mark Callous as Steve looked over her shoulder.

"Nothing on him, clean record. Not even so much as a parking ticket." She sighed.

"Neither one of them have a record of violence against females. What do you think?" Steve asked her.

"I am not sure what to think. Both of their reasons for not giving a DNA sample were stupid as hell. I mean…okay…with the questions surrounding forensic labs lately and potentially faulty evidence, I can sorta understand where Glenn Jacobs was coming from. But Callous…he is afraid a woman is going to pin a baby on him? Do I look like Maury Povich?" she exclaimed making Steve laugh.

"I admit I am not sure what to make of his story myself. Of course to someone who is paranoid and not familiar with the system, worrying he could be tracked by his DNA could be something he would think."

"Something else that bothers me…..we're pretty sure the killer is from out of town. The construction crew is from out of town. You said this yourself at the park. Now we got two of those out of towners refusing to give DNA samples." Trina said.

"That is suspicious." Steve said.

"I would still like to get a DNA sample from them." She said. "It bothers me when people don't want to help clear themselves. Not to mention these murders started here the same time they got into town."

"Tell you what…..we'll keep an eye on them for a day or so. They will eventually throw away something with their DNA on it…a straw, gum, something. We'll collect it and send it in. That way we can clear them once and for all." Steve said. "Once they throw something away, its public domain."

"That is a good idea. I like that." She smiled.

"In the meantime, let's call Morgantown again. We need to make sure they don't get lax about finding out who Cheat Doe may be. And we can look at some more of the truck drivers that go through the area." Steve said.

1900 Hours

"You two have worked all day, go home already." Seth said as he walked into the station and found Trina and Steve once again going through missing persons cases.

"Just trying to see if anyone resembling Cheat Doe has been reported missing anywhere." Trina said. "We're getting nowhere with the truck drivers. It will be a week or so before we get back all the DNA results from the samples we took today even if Dolph is calling in favors from everyone but the president."

"Guys, go home, relax." Seth chuckled. "Work will still be here tomorrow and I will take over looking through missing persons for you."

"There really isn't much more we can do today." Steve said.

"There ya go. Steve, take your girl to get a drink or something." Seth said, making both of them look up at him.

"That is a great idea Rollins. Come on Trina, we can walk to Almost Heaven." Steve said.

"I could go for a drink. Layfield is still out at that fender bender. I don't know why people won't learn to leave their cell phones alone while driving." Trina said.

"We'll see you tomorrow." Steve said as he nudged Trina towards the door.

"Bye Monica." Seth called out.

"I am gonna strangle you!" she yelled back making Seth laugh.

"Monica?" Steve asked as they stepped out of the station.

"Inside joke between Seth and me." She said as they walked down the street towards Almost Heaven.

"Well come on, we need to relax a bit. Had a long day." Steve wrapped his arm around her as they crossed the street.

They walked into Almost Heaven. There were several people already seated around the floor and bar. Music was playing from the jukebox. Randy waved to them as they walked in. They took a seat at a booth along the wall.

"You know my mind is still on Callous." Trina said as she sat down.

"Work is over for the day, let it go." Steve said.

"It's not really work related." She said. "Just…he said he is trying to avoid a woman that might have his child."

"Unfortunately these days that happens often." Steve said as Randy brought over a few beers for them.

"How are you guys doing?" Randy asked.

"Not bad. How's things around here?" Steve asked.

"Busy, which is good. With the 4th of July coming up we are going to be busier than ever." Randy smiled.

"Randy…do me a favor." Trina grabbed his hand. "If you get any female patrons that need a ride….do not let them hitchhike or accept a ride from someone you don't trust. Call me at home if you have to, and I'll come give them a ride but…keep an eye on your female customers."

"Is this about those murders?" Randy asked.

"I can't tell you that. Just do this for me, please." She asked again.

"Of course I will." He squeezed her hand. "You guys let me know if you need anything else." Randy headed back over to the bar.

"You know, this Callous thing is just….I don't know what to think." She said.

"Because he is a jerk trying to avoid a kid?"

"I don't know. First that bitch hiding that kid from Joe then just springing up all of a sudden. Now Callous hiding from what may be his kid. Is everyone a moron when it comes to having children? Whatever happened to the days that women told men when they were pregnant and men stepped up to take care of their children?" she took a drink of her beer.

"There are good guys left, good ladies too." Steve said. "Wild horses couldn't have kept me away from my kids."

"Oh I know that. I didn't mean you." She smiled.

"If Seth got a girl pregnant, do you think he would run?" Steve asked.

"Is she Taylor Swift?" Trina joked. "You're right, he wouldn't."

"And I know that if you got pregnant you would be honest with the guy." Steve said. "Guess you have just come across a few bad seeds recently."

"You're right." She smiled. "But enough about that. I want to dance."

"Can't refuse a lovely lady." Steve smiled. He stood up and walked with her to the dance floor.

They loosely wrapped their arms around each other as 'My Love' by Little Texas began playing on the jukebox.

"You know, we never got to go four wheeling." Trina smiled at him.

"You free tomorrow evening?" he chuckled.

"For you, I could be." She winked.

"Then I will be over after work." He said as they continued dancing.

They were dancing and didn't notice John Layfield and Seth walking into Almost Heaven to grab a drink. John and Seth grabbed a table and noticed Trina and Steve dancing and laughing. Randy brought them their drinks, a beer for John and a soda for Seth since he was on duty.

"I just hope those two don't end in disaster. Imagine how insane it would be for those two to work together if they had a bad split." John sighed.

"I really think Steve is a good guy. I don't get the feeling at all he is pretending to be something he isn't." Seth said.

"I hope not. I like Steve. I'd hate to have to break his nose." John said, making Seth chuckle.

Back on the dancefloor Steve was amused as Trina sang along with 'Miami, My Amy' while dancing. He had admitted to himself that he thought Trina was adorable with all her singing along with the radio or jukebox.

"I never met someone who knew the lyrics to as many songs as you do." Steve laughed.

"My parents were the same way. It must run in the family." She said. "Besides, I love Keith Whitley."

"Didn't he die of alcohol poisoning?" Steve asked.

"If I was married to Lorrie Morgan, I would drink myself to death too!" she said, making Steve laugh again at the crazy things she blurted out.

 _Chapter Song Inspiration- 'My Love' by Little Texas_

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _I seriously love my reviewers. You guys are awesome. Although I was surprised no one caught the joke last chapter. Or maybe the joke just didn't land and it was my bad. LOL But love my reviewers. Thank you: Debwood-1999 (I was inspired for the allergic reaction by a guy at work who ate mustard and had such a bad reaction he had a seizure and we had to call 911. I researched a lot for that part.), Batistasprincess, carlyrosanna83, jcott3 (Yes that was Kharma.)_


	16. Shocking Development

July 2nd, 1300 Hours

Trina and Steve were sitting in the Ranger's Station at the park watching the construction. They had been watching Callous and Jacobs waiting for one of them to throw away something with their DNA on it such as gum or a straw. So far both men hadn't discarded anything that would contain their DNA.

"Both men brought their lunch and didn't throw away so much as a napkin and Callous drinks from a thermos he brought." Trina sighed.

"We might have to watch a few days but it is very hard to not throw away something with DNA on it. Look how much we discard daily with DNA….gum, soda cans, plastic utensils." Steve said.

"Patience is not my strong point." She chuckled.

"In a case like this, you have to have patience." Steve said. "This case is really becoming a learning experience for you."

"I am not sure I am doing it gracefully." She grumbled.

"I think you are doing just fine." He encouraged her.

"What case made you grow the most?" she asked.

"When my boys were little, one of the other officers in my department step-daughter turned up missing. I'd casually known this officer for years, she had been there longer than me. The missing girl was about 14 years old…we all sympathized and volunteered hours to help look for this child. The father was devastated and passed a polygraph. But the case took a strange turn when detectives started questioning the girl's classmates and friends….apparently the girl had confessed to her friends that her older step-brother had been raping her….and her friends had finally convinced her to tell someone and get help." Steve said, his eyes far away and Trina could tell that he was remembering the case clearly in his mind.

"What happened to her?" she asked.

"When detectives heard this, they focused on the family again. The father once again was cleared but the step-mom refused to cooperate, lawyered up and the department relieved her of duty. Took a couple months more of investigating but when the truth finally came out…..the girl had told her step-mom what was happening. The step-mom decided to protect her son and killed the girl in order to silence her." Steve said.

"Damn." Trina said, herself feeling disgust at the case Steve was recalling.

"After killing her, the step-mom had dismembered her, hid the body and then carried on like a concerned parent when the girl came up 'missing'." Steve said. "That case made me do a lot of reflecting….when is protecting your child going too far? What would I do if it was one of my boys hurting a girl? How could someone who was a dedicated officer do such things? I mean, we knew this woman, worked with her…..we never saw it coming."

"Was she convicted?" Trina asked.

"As much as we hated it, she took a deal and pled guilty to second degree murder. I still dunno how they let her plead to second degree murder." Steve said. "And as hard as detectives tried, they couldn't bring charges against the son for raping the girl. With her dead…..guess the step-mom got what she wanted after all."

"She was wrong you know. There are times when a parent has to admit their child has done wrong and let them pay for their sins." Trina said.

"I know, I came to the same conclusion. If one of my boys raped someone, I wouldn't cover for them. I wouldn't abandon them but I wouldn't try to cover for them or make excuses." Steve said.

"That is what good parents do." She took his hand. "And I can understand why that case would be difficult."

"I haven't talked about that case in years." He said.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories." She apologized.

"No, it's okay. It's good to have someone who understands…it's…well it is very difficult to be in a relationship when…..when one person doesn't really understand what this job is like." Steve said.

Trina didn't say anything but squeezed his hand as they continued watching the construction crew.

1800 Hours

Steve and Trina were still sitting in the Ranger's Station when Seth walked in that evening. The entire day they had watched both Jacobs and Callous but neither of them that thrown away or discarded anything that would have their DNA on it.

"I'll keep an eye on them from here. Go on home." Seth said.

"So far they haven't throw away anything with their DNA. Either they are very lucky or they are smart enough to know we are allowed to have anything they toss." Trina said.

"I'll try the motel they are staying at, get their routine, see what they are into." Seth said.

"Good idea. Right now they are being very smart, to the point it is frustrating." Trina said.

"You have no patience." Seth laughed.

"So I am told." She sighed.

"Go on home. If anything major happens I will call you." Seth laughed as he sat down by the window.

Steve and Trina left the Ranger's Station and walked to his Silverado. They decided to just drive on to Trina's house together. Steve was amused as Trina turned the radio to a country station and sang along. He had never listened to much country music while living in LA, it just wasn't his taste; but since meeting Trina he had heard a lot of it and found it wasn't so bad.

"What in the world is a queen of a doublewide trailer?" Steve laughed at whatever she was singing.

"Open your mind city slicker. It's a country guy, finding the girl of his dreams and makes her queen of his home…that is a doublewide." She laughed.

"If you say so." He chuckled.

"I used to love Sammy Kershaw until he married that skank Lorrie Morgan." She said, again making Steve laugh at her random blurting of just what came to her mind.

"Weren't you complaining about her last night too?" Steve laughed.

"Yeah, she is one of country music's biggest floozies." She said, making Steve laugh again.

As they arrived at Trina's house, she jumped out of the truck. She hurried into the house, with Jack happily greeting her at the door. She let him outside and then hurried upstairs to change into civilian clothes. Steve went to the spare bathroom to change into more comfortable clothes for the evening.

Trina went back downstairs, now dressed in jeans and a tank top. She stepped outside and sprayed bug spray on her arms. Steve stepped out onto the porch wearing basketball shorts and a t-shirt.

"Ready to go?" she asked excitedly.

"Sure, but I warn you, I haven't been on a four-wheeler in quite a while." He said, taking some bug spray for himself.

"I'll stick to some easy trails. Come on Jack!" she called her coydog who immediately followed behind her.

They walked over to the barn, the cats scattering as they walked. They still weren't used to Steve. Inside, Trina took the tarp off her four-wheeler. Steve had to chuckle that it was done in pink camouflage.

"That is very you." He smiled.

"How so?" she looked up at him.

"Very tomboy with a feminine side. That's you all day long." Steve explained.

"I like that. Guess that is me in a lot of ways." She climbed on. "Climb on."

Steve climbed on the back of the four-wheeler with her and lightly put his hands on her waist. She started the Yamaha and pulled it out of the barn, Jack staying right with them. She drove towards the back edge of her farm and into the woods along a well-worn trail. Jack followed closely behind. Steve had to admit she knew how to handle the four-wheeler and that Jack was well trained to stay with her.

"Aren't you worried he will get snake bit?" Steve asked Trina and nudged his head toward Jack.

"It does cross my mind, but he is pretty smart." She said. "Last year one of the neighbors lost his champion hunting dog to a rattlesnake bite."

"Champion hunting dog?" Steve had heard of such things but never actually been around them.

"Yeah, my neighbor down the road a bit…he raises, trains and sells hunting dogs….beagles. He is very good at it and actually other people bring him their puppies to train. Anyways, last summer his female he used for breeding and hunting got bit while in the yard. He took her to the vet, the vet did everything you can imagine but she still died." Trina said.

"And how did he react? I have heard all those stereotypes about a country guy and their dog." Steve winked.

"Most of which are true. He was upset obviously but wasn't much he could really do, it was just one of those things." Trina said. "But my neighbor is very serious about his dogs. He would let you kidnap his wife before he would let you steal his dogs."

"I think you are that way, you would let someone kidnap me before you would part with Jack." Steve laughed.

Trina chuckled and leaned back against him as she drove. "You….nah. Seth, yeah."

"I'm sure he would be glad to know that." Steve laughed.

"Are you kidding? He would sell me to gypsies before he would part with his dogs." She chuckled.

"You know, the longer I am here, the more I am enjoying it." Steve kissed her cheek.

"You miss Venice Beach?" she asked.

"Not really. I miss my kids and I miss the people. But this area is nice. I am enjoying it more than I thought I would." He said.

"Well I for one am glad you are here." She smiled.

She stopped the four-wheeler along the creek and shut it off. Jack came up beside her as she hopped off.

"The creek is getting low. We need some rain." She said as she walked down to the edge of the water, Jack beside her.

"You come out here often?" Steve walked up beside her.

"Sometimes, it is nice and peaceful out here." She turned and wrapped her arms around him.

He wrapped his arms around her. "You know, work has been so busy that I still haven't got to really enjoy some of the popular sites in the area."

"What would you like to see?" she smiled up at him.

"I was thinking our next free day you could show me the Dolly Sods. Everyone keeps saying they are beautiful." He smiled.

"You would love it. We could go hiking and spend the day there." Her eyes lit up.

"Then it is a date." He gave her a quick kiss.

"You wanna drive for a while?" she smiled.

"Yeah, this is relaxing. I can see why you do it so often." He said as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"It is relaxing. We'll leave in a few minutes." She said, breathing deep and enjoying the smell of his cologne.

July 5th, 0730

Trina was in her Jeep driving towards the Davis Police Station. She was a bit tired having stayed up late the night before as Jerry hosted a cookout. Seth and Dolph had bought a bunch of fireworks and put them off while Layfield volunteered to work the evening.

Her cell phone rang. "Conley." She answered.

"Trina, we just got a call from the Canaan Valley Park. Someone found a human head in the park." John told her. "Call just came in. I called Dolph, he is on his way out there now. Jerry is calling Steve, he will meet you there."

"Oh hell. Just when we have a few days of peace….I'm going straight there." She sighed.

Trina drove straight to the Canaan Valley Park. She was anxious to see what was going on and knew this was related to their ongoing serial killer case. As she arrived at the lodge, she saw Dolph already waiting for her. She climbed out of her Jeep.

"What's the word?" she asked.

"Some young couple on an early morning hike found a human head. They are reporting the smell of decomposition." Dolph told her.

"Hikers been detained?" she asked.

"Yeah, but they are both shook up." Dolph said. "Park staff is going to take us out to where the head was found in a few minutes. They have assured me that nothing has been touched."

Steve pulled in driving his Silverado. He climbed out and immediately joined them.

"What do we need to do? Jerry filled me in." Steve said.

"We're about to go up where the hikers found the head. We need to speak with the hikers still, Dolph says they are shook up. And we will need to search the area around the site where the head is." Trina said.

"You go with Dolph, I'll talk to the hikers and then meet you guys up there." Steve said.

"Okay, I'll start marking off a perimeter at the site." She said.

"Let's go. Park staff is ready." Dolph grabbed his equipment.

Dolph and Trina followed the park staff towards the hiking trails. As they followed one of the trails, they began smelling the unmistakable smell of decomposition. Dolph dug out the OdorScreen and both he and Trina spread some under their nose. The park staff began covering their noses as well.

Finally they arrived at the spot the park staff were indicating and found a staff member guarding the area. Dolph walked a few feet off the trail and found the head. Trina immediately began marking off a 100 feet radius around the area. As she carefully checked the area looking for any evidence left behind, Dolph began inspecting the decapitated head.

"Looks like it's our guy." Dolph called to her.

"What you got?" she asked.

"No blood at the scene. Head appears to be female, medium length blonde hair, make-up. Advanced decomposition, tongue is protruding from the mouth. Appears to have a full set of adult teeth." Dolph said.

"Blonde? April Lee was a brunette." She said.

"Well it is possible that this is our Jane Doe. Or the killer could've died the hair although a simple visual…even with the decay, this doesn't resemble April Lee." Dolph said.

Steve walked up the path and joined them, covering his mouth and nose with a bandana. "Hikers are clear. Just a young couple trying to have a romantic morning hike. They got engaged last night and wanted a romantic hike to celebrate."

"Do you think Kofi Kingston would do another drawing for us? Dolph doesn't think this is April Lee. It might be the most recent Jane Doe." Trina said.

"I'll call him. He is one of the best, I definitely want him on this." Steve agreed. "Finding any evidence left in the area?"

"I haven't seen anything as of yet." Trina said.

"I'll help you while Dolph finishes up." Steve said.

0930 Hours

Trina walked into the station after leaving the Canaan Valley Park. She had driven back after they had searched the area and found nothing. She and Steve had also spent a long time speaking with the staff of that park and they all reported that they had seen nothing out of the ordinary, but admitted with the holiday the day before they had been incredibly busy and had a lot of people in and out.

She walked into the station and found Seth speaking with Jerry. Both men looked up at her as she walked in.

"Dolph has the dismembered head at the morgue for examination. Nothing of use at the park. Hikers were cleared. No evidence left behind." She said. "How's things at Blackwater Falls State Park?"

"Neither Jacobs nor Callous has thrown away anything we can use. I kept an eye on them before the holiday and got their after work routine down." Seth said.

"Yeah, anything out of the ordinary?" she asked.

"Not really. The entire crew is staying at the small motel between here and Parsons. The guys seem to leave to buy groceries or whatever. Saw nothing out of the ordinary." Seth said.

Steve walked into the station. He took his sunglasses off as he joined the group of officers. "I spoke with Kofi Kingston. He is gonna come in tomorrow and do a drawing of the head we found today."

"That's good. When he is done we will have Heenan print the drawing again." Jerry said. "Okay, Seth you keep tailing Callous and Jacobs, eventually they will slip up. Trina, go to the morgue when Dolph calls."

"I'll go with her." Steve volunteered.

"Thanks, I am glad you are working so close with us on this one." Jerry said.

"Glad to do it." Steve said.

"I'm going to make a few calls. I am sure Bischoff is gonna be having a fit." Jerry said and walked back into his office.

"I better get back to the park. See ya later Gellar. Bye Steve." Seth snickered.

"I am going to choke you." Trina rolled her eyes as Seth walked out.

"Gellar?" Steve asked.

"Inside joke again." Trina said. "Let's get some coffee."

They walked into the break room and Trina poured them both a cup of coffee and they sat down at the table.

"I have to admit I am impressed that you have worked so well with us on this case." Trina said. "I can't remember a county detective being this cooperative. Even as much as I loved Sammartino, he could have his moments."

"You guys know the area better. And you are great cops, it just makes sense." Steve said.

She looked at him a moment. "Would you be this cooperative with us if we didn't have this thing going on between us?" she asked, slightly suspicious.

"Is that what you think?" Steve asked, a little taken aback.

"I'm sorry. I guess I still have trust issues." She sighed.

He sighed and reached for her hand. "I would cooperate with the Davis PD on this case even if you weren't working on it. But working with you has given me a chance to get to know you. I'd hoped by know you had gotten to know me enough to know you can trust me. I have no hidden agendas."

"Deep down I want to trust you, I swear I do…..I'm just afraid." She admitted.

"Afraid of what?" he asked.

"Afraid of you. We're getting really close and I love spending time with you and I think you are wonderful. And everyone keeps telling me to take a chance and I am trying…I am. But the last time I did…" she struggled to find the right words.

"Trinvilla." He said, making her look up at him because she hated her full name. "I'm not Joe. If you want to be with me you have to let go of the past and let our relationship grow."

"Is that what you want? A relationship?" she asked.

"Do you think I would be spending so much time with you if I didn't?" he smiled.

"You're right….I….." she looked at him. "It's time to let go and move on."

"Glad to hear it." He squeezed her hand.

"Trina, Dolph called. Says he needs to see you ASAP." Jerry walked in, not realizing what he was interrupting.

"We're on our way." Steve said.

1000 Hours

Steve and Trina hurried down the hall at the county morgue towards the exam room. If Dolph had big news they wanted to hear it. They walked into the exam room and saw Dolph still examining the head they had recovered that morning.

"So what did you find that was so urgent?" Trina asked as they walked up closer to the examination table.

"Glad you guys are here. Fasten your seatbelts…this is not the head of our recent Jane Doe and it's not April Lee either." Dolph said.

"What? You are telling me this is a fourth victim?" Trina was stunned.

"I checked blood type. She doesn't match April Lee or Jane Doe." Dolph said.

"Oh no, this case just keeps getting worse and worse." Steve said.

"What else did you find?" Trina asked Dolph.

"Like Cheat Doe, this girl was made up post-mortem. Her make-up has the same streaks. And again, I found semen in the mouth." Dolph said. "I already collected a sample to send off for testing."

"Kofi Kingston has agreed to do a forensic photo of this girl as well. He will be coming in tomorrow." Steve said.

"I will make sure I have everything ready for him. I also took impressions of her teeth." Dolph said.

"Could you determine a time of death?" Trina asked.

"Based on decomposition and marbling of the skin…I would say 4-5 days." Dolph said.

"Can you tell how old she is?" Steve asked.

"I would guess about 22-24 years old. She has had all of her wisdom teeth removed and had her tonsils removed." Dolph said. "Sorry guys, there just isn't much we can go on."

"Maybe when Kingston does the photo it will help." Trina sighed.

"I hope so. Believe me, I am getting tired of having to work on these mutilated ladies. Whoever the fucker is that is killing them is sick." Dolph said, finally showing some of his own emotion at the horror of the case.

"I know it is not easy." She sighed. "We're gonna head back to Davis. Call if you find anything else."

"I will. And I will make sure I have everything ready for when Kingston arrives tomorrow." Dolph said.

Trina and Steve turned and walked back out of the exam room and down the hall to the parking lot. Both were lost in their thoughts and distressed that they now had a fourth victim to investigate. Four innocent lives taken at the hands of a madman was frustrating to an officer.

They quietly climbed in the Silverado and Steve started back towards Davis. He noticed that Trina left the radio off and was deep in thought.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I am fine….well just….this case." She sighed.

"What are you thinking? I see those wheels turning in your head." Steve glanced over at her.

"Just mentally working on my profile of the killer. Definitely a male, killing for sexual reasons…he is very methodical and careful. Everything is planned out and done to perfection, leaving behind no witnesses and very little evidence. That hints at an older man with intelligence. And he definitely has an oral sex fixation." She turned towards Steve.

"You really have been studying this case." Steve said.

"We have to catch this guy. We have to. At the rate he is killing….four girls in a month." She said.

"We'll get him. I promise." Steve took her hand.

"I am thinking more and more that it is one of those on the construction crew." She turned towards Steve.

"Trina…..don't focus on…."

"They fit the profile. I really think it is one of them. Both of them are older men and the murders didn't start here until they arrived in town. They are both Caucasion….serial killers rarely kill outside their race. They are connected to the park. They refuse to give DNA samples." Trina insisted.

"Okay…you make some good points. We will keep after them for DNA samples and investigate a little more about them. Just please don't get too focused on them. They might just be a little odd." Steve said.

They rode in silence the rest of the way to the Davis police station. When they walked back into the building they were surprised to see that John had come back to work. Jerry came out of his office to speak with them.

"What did Dolph find out?" Jerry asked them.

"We have a fourth victim." Trina said.

"Blood typing showed that the head we found this morning does not belong to April Lee or Jane Doe. This time we found the head but no body." Steve explained.

"Fourth? Oh hell!" John looked up from his desk.

"MO matches our guy. The decapitated head had make-up applied post mortem. Semen was also found in the mouth." Trina said.

"What a mess, I don't even know what to say." Jerry shook his head.

"Dolph is sending everything off for DNA testing. If nothing else he will be able to tell us if the semen matches the semen found in Cheat Doe." Steve said.

"I am going to take a shower." Trina said. "I'll be back in twenty minutes or so."

They watched her walk into the locker room at the back of the station. Steve had a curious expression on his face.

"It's what she does to relieve stress." Jerry said. "She's okay." He assured him and walked back into his office.

Steve walked over and sat across the desk from John who was typing up reports at his computer.

"She is quite the pistol. She wants to solve this case so bad….but not for any recognition, she just wants to save lives." Steve thought aloud making John look up at him.

"Damn…..you are really feeling something for her. It's written all over your face." John smiled.

"Is it? There is just something about watching her work this case. She is smart and passionate and so determined." He gave a small smile.

"I am glad to hear you saying that. That last asshole never appreciated how smart she was or any of her great qualities." John said. "Just don't do anything that would force me to break your nose."

"I didn't intend to. My biggest concern is…I don't know if she can let go and trust me." Steve sighed.

"Give her time. Just be patient, keep on gaining her trust. It will happen." John said.

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _Thank you once again to my awesome reviewers. You guys are so awesome. Cinnamon Muffin Punk, cdajr, Debwood-1999 (I agree about Ross and Rachel), jcott3, Batistasprincess, carlyrosanna83._


	17. Hiking

July 11th, 1100 Hours

The week was slowly creeping by. Despite their hardest efforts they were making very little progress on the case. Kofi Kingston had worked for a few days on the drawing of the second decapitated head they had recovered. The officers also noticed that Mark Callous seemed to be going out of his way to avoid throwing out anything with DNA on it. Despite continuing to tail him, the officers had not been able to recover anything with his DNA on it.

However, John Layfield was tailing Glenn Jacobs when he saw him throw away an empty water bottle he had drank out of. Layfield had immediately collected the discarded bottle and taken it to Dolph. Dolph had sent it to the lab in Charleston for DNA tests to be run. Dolph had the DNA tests rushed at the lab and found out that the semen in the mouth of the second female head matched the semen found in the mouth of Cheat Doe. He also got the results of the DNA samples from the Blackwater Falls State Park staff and none of them were a match. He was still awaiting the results on Glenn Jacobs. So while the officers were happy at eliminating several possible suspects they were frustrated at not finding the killer.

When Kofi had finished the composite of the Jane Doe, Steve had brought the finished picture to show the other officers. The picture showed a young girl with blonde hair that no one recognized. They immediately had the photo published in the local newspaper and began circulating posters in town asking for information. They also sent the picture to the police departments in the surrounding counties.

However, while the week was creeping by, the other officers in the Davis PD noticed Steve was spending a lot of time at their station. He had brought Trina breakfast or lunch every day. Both seemed happy and their friends had their fingers crossed that the relationship would work out well for them.

After work Steve had finished the barn roof at Trina's farm and she was anxious to start looking for a horse and the goat she wanted to name Daniel. Steve was glad that he was able to help her out and had been spending a lot of evenings at her house even after he had finished working.

It was Saturday now. Steve and Trina both had the day off and were headed to the Dolly Sods to spend the day hiking. Both had packed backpacks and dressed comfortably for the day. Steve had driven them in his Silverado and was pleased to see that Trina was in good spirits, singing along with the radio and laughing as he drove.

The Dolly Sods was a popular hiking area known for its vegetation that was usually found further north in Canada. In the past the area had been used for logging and many of the old railroad paths were now used as hiking trails.

"It really is pretty around here. Everyone was right." Steve said as he and Trina hiked along one of the former railroad paths heading towards Lion's Head.

"Yeah, West Virginia gets a bad reputation for whatever reason but we really have some of the prettiest scenery anywhere. Dolly Sods, Seneca Rock, Smokehole Caverns, Blackwater Falls, Spruce Knob, Bald Knob…I think the area is really special. Of course I grew up here." She smiled and took his hand.

"I am starting to see why you never want to leave." He smiled at her. "Besides, I think this is a good break for us. This past week has been crazy."

"It has been. I am so glad you wanted to do this today." She squeezed his hand.

"I can't wait to see this place in the fall. I bet it is gorgeous when the leaves turn." Steve commented as he looked at the area.

"It does look beautiful. Maybe this year I will be able to get out here and see some of the fall foliage." She smiled.

"Looks like there is a spot ahead where we could relax. Wanna have lunch?" he asked her.

"Yeah, I am getting a little hungry." She agreed.

They walked a short distance more and found a small clearing where they could look out over the terrain. They both took off their packs and Trina spread a blanket down for them to sit on. They sat down on the blanket and Trina began taking food out of her bag. She handed Steve a couple of sandwiches she had packed.

"You seem really happy today." Steve commented as he unwrapped his sandwich.

"I am. I feel great. For the first time in a long time I feel great! I mean yeah the case is a pain in the ass, but….my personal life couldn't be better." She winked.

"Glad to hear it." He took out a bottle of water.

"It feels great!" she smiled and leaned over to snuggle on him. "And I did a lot of thinking about what you said. I think a big part of my problem is more than just everything I went through with Joe…I realized I needed to forgive myself."

"Why?"

"I realized I have been very upset with myself for staying with him so long and putting up with all the hell I did. Hindsight is 20/20….but I clearly remember so many times while I was with him that I felt like I should leave him, but like a fool just stayed with him hoping things would change." She said.

"A lot of people do the same thing…hoping a relationship gets better because you remember how good things were at one point." Steve kissed her forehead.

"I am glad you have been so patient with me figuring things out. Thank you." She looked up at him.

"I knew you needed time. I was willing to wait." He kissed her.

2100 Hours

Steve and Trina were on their way back to her farm after spending the day hiking in the Dolly Sods. Steve had stopped at a gas station in Parsons to get gas. While he was pumping gas into his Silverado, Trina went into the station to purchase a few sodas for herself and Steve.

As she was exiting the station, she passed Mark Callous walking into the station. She stopped in her tracks and watched as he walked in and to the back to towards the beer cooler.

"Trina?" Steve called out. She looked over and saw him standing by his Silverado, having finished with the gas.

She hurried across the lot and climbed into the passenger seat. Steve climbed in and noticed she was looking out the window into the store. He then saw Mark Callous at the counter buying a six-pack.

"You ready to go?" he asked.

She looked over at him. "Yeah, we can go." She looked back at the store, watching as Callous exited the store.

He started the truck and pulled out of the parking lot. After driving a few miles towards her farm, he realized she wasn't singing with the radio and was very quiet.

"What's on your mind? I can tell something is going through that head." He said.

"Mr. Gibson told me that was the gas station he dropped Cheat Doe off when he picked her up hitchhiking." Trina turned in her seat towards him. "I wonder if Callous was there that night."

"Come on honey, lots of people come and go from that station." Steve said.

"I know, but something about Callous just doesn't sit well with me. And….we know our killer picks victims of opportunity, Cheat Doe was looking for a ride. How easy would it have been for Callous to offer her a ride if he was there that night?" she shared her thoughts.

"Anybody could've offered her a ride that night. Callous just upsets you because he won't give up a DNA sample." Steve tried to reason with her. "Trina…..I know this is your first homicide case….and you are working it great. But you can't let yourself get fixated on one suspect." Steve told her.

"But he stands out the most of anyone we have come in contact with. Even more than Jacobs." She countered.

"Why more than Jacobs?" he questioned.

"I don't know…he just does."

"Gut instinct only goes so far. I am just warning you to not get fixated on him." Steve said.

They were quiet the rest of the drive to Trina's farm. Steve knew she was still running over Mark Callous in her mind but decided to not mention it. Moments like this reminded him that she was a much younger officer and while she had several years of experience on the job, she wasn't as seasoned as him and certainly not when it came to homicide cases.

When they arrived at her farm, Steve helped her carry their bags in the house. Jack immediately greeted her at the door. She walked into the living room and flopped down on the couch.

"I am exhausted but what a wonderful day." She said.

"It's late, I should probably head home." Steve sat down beside her.

She looked up at him. "It's late, why don't you just stay the night here."

Steve raised an eyebrow at her.

"You can stay in a guest room if it would make you feel more comfortable." She chuckled. "But, it's late and you're tired. And I really like having you around."

"I like being around. You mind if I shower?" Steve made his decision to stay with her.

"Help yourself, you know where everything is. I will take one after you." She smiled.

"Be out in ten minutes." Steve kissed her forehead and stood up.

She watched him walk through the kitchen to go down the hall to the spare bathroom. She relaxed on the couch, unwinding after a long day of hiking. Jack came over and laid his head on her leg. She patted his head.

She heard Steve turn on the shower, so she got up and walked upstairs to her bedroom. Jack followed her quietly and settled onto the floor near her bed. She took off her hiking boots, setting them in the closet and grabbed a set of blue pajamas.

After a few minutes she heard Steve turn off the shower downstairs so she walked into the main bathroom for her own shower. It felt good to relax under the warm water. It felt good on her muscles that had gotten a workout from the hiking.

When she stepped out of the shower she felt clean and relaxed. She dried off and carefully towel dried her hair. After dressing in her pajamas she stepped out into her bedroom. It was empty. She frowned and walked downstairs, finding Steve sitting on the couch in the living room wearing just a pair of basketball shorts.

"You coming to bed?" she asked. "Or did you want to stay in one of the guest rooms?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable with sharing a bed. I didn't want to assume anything or make you uncomfortable." He said.

"It's fine. I trust you. I think it would be nice sleeping beside you." She smiled.

Steve nodded. "Okay, as long as you are sure."

"I am. Come on." She said and turned and walked back up the stairs.

Steve followed her up the stairs and into her room. Jack gave him a curious look but remained in his spot at the foot of the bed. Trina pulled back the covers on the bed and slid in on the right side. Steve watched to make sure she truly was comfortable and then slid in beside her. She turned off the lamp and the room fell into near darkness except for a small nightlight.

"Thank you for today." Trina said as she reached over and took Steve's hand.

"I enjoyed it too." He squeezed her hand and pulled her closer to him. "Flair is sending me to Baltimore for a few days."

"When? Why?" she raised up and looked at him.

"A law enforcement seminar. It will only be for a few days. I leave on Monday. I tried to get out of it and Sheriff Flair tried to pawn it off on someone else. But when I checked my phone a few minutes ago, he sent me a message saying I needed to go. Apparently with the recent murders, Bischoff is insisting on it." Steve explained.

"Jackass just wants to be able to say he is doing all he can to protect tourism." Trina rolled her eyes. "I understand that tourism is a big industry here, but the asshole hasn't showed one iota of compassion for these four women that were murdered."

"I know and it will give me a chance to talk with officers from around the US, maybe get some fresh ideas or something." Steve said.

"If nothing else it will let you see the latest in technology and what other departments are doing." She said.

She laid back down and was quiet for several minutes. Steve turned and looked at her. "You okay?"

"Yeah, guess I have gotten so used to seeing you every day that it will be a bit weird not seeing you for a few days." She said.

"We have gotten used to being together every day. But like you said it is only a couple days. Besides, you will be busy on the case." He kissed her forehead.

"Yeah, I will be. I promise I will keep you updated. You are gonna call me right?" she looked up at him.

"Of course I am. What kind of guy doesn't call his lady to check on her and let her know he is thinking of her?" he asked with a small chuckle. "Not to mention I have to call to make sure you haven't strangled Seth like you are always threatening to do."

Trina laughed. "I make no promises."

"Just don't get too obsessive about the case while I am gone. I don't want to come back and find you knee deep in files and not sleeping." Steve said.

"I won't let the file pile get higher than the middle of my shin." She deadpanned.

Steve leaned over and kissed her. "Goodnight crazy girl."

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _This chapter was a bit slow but things are about to pick up. Big stuff coming in the next couple chapters. I still love all my reviewers. If you have not reviewed, don't be shy. Thank you Debwood-1999 (That is something I had not considered as much as I should have. Thank you for pointing out a good area for me to work on!) Paisley2 (That was a complete coincidence but a funny one. And so glad you picked up on the Bieber joke. And no to both your questions.) Carlyrosanna83, Batistasprincess, and jcott3._


	18. While Steve is Away

July 13th, 0900

Trina was sitting with Seth at Blackwater Falls State Park in an unmarked car watching the construction crew. They were parked in a parking lot keeping an eye on Callous since the work had moved further down the road from the Ranger's Station. Steve had left the night before for Baltimore so he could check into his hotel and get some sleep before starting the seminar the next morning.

Seth and Trina had both noticed that Callous was chewing tobacco today and spitting into a plastic cup. Both felt this was their chance to get his DNA when he threw his spit cup away. They had watched him for over an hour and he was yet to throw his spit cup away.

"So how goes things with Richard?" Seth chuckled.

"You and that stupid show. Things with STEVE are fine." She rolled her eyes. "Of course, I feel kinda weird with him in Baltimore. It's like I miss him but how is that possible if he hasn't been gone even 24 hours yet?"

"Probably because you know you won't see him today like you're used to. And it's normal to miss a boyfriend/girlfriend even after not seeing them for short periods of time." Seth shrugged.

"I dunno, maybe I am getting too involved too fast." She sighed.

"I thought you were all smiles and happy after the hiking on Saturday? Why the second thoughts now? I swear I will never understand women." Seth looked at her.

"Then try dating men." She rolled her eyes. "And I don't want to be a rebound from his divorce. And I don't want to be his mid-life crisis….you know men hit their 50's and suddenly want younger women."

"Steve is not the mid-life crisis kind of guy. He is too grounded and mature for that." Seth said. "And I really wouldn't worry about being a rebound. You are a terrific girl and any guy in their right mind would fall for you."

"I don't know about that. Joe preferred a manipulative liar over me." Trina said. "Guess I won't ever understand men like you don't get women."

"Oh don't even classify Joe as a man." Seth scoffed. "Joe didn't want a real relationship with a future. Joe wanted some whore he could screw that wouldn't expect the relationship to grow into marriage, a family, a home. Once he realized you weren't that kind of girl, he started trying to get rid of you using the stupidest tactics known to mankind and pissing off most of Tucker County in the process."

"You really believe that?" she looked over at him.

"Are you kidding me? That fool is lucky you don't have a brother because if you did he would've beat the shit out of him." Seth said. "Let my parents legally adopt you and I will do it."

Trina laughed. "You are so crazy, but thank you."

1100 Hours

They were still sitting in the parking lot watching the construction crew. Everything else in the park seemed relatively calm. Callous had still made no move to throw away his spit cup. They both were hoping when the lunch crew broke for lunch that he would throw away his spit cup.

"Do guys realize how disgusting that habit is?" Trina asked.

"I don't know. A lot of people mistakenly think it is safer than smoking." Seth said.

"Looks like he is going to the porta john. He must be getting ready to break for lunch." Trina watched as Callous walked into one of the porta johns set up for the construction crew.

They both waited patiently for Callous to exit the porta john. After about five minutes Callous exited the toilet and both of them immediately noticed he no longer had the spit cup with him.

"Fuck, he must have thrown it away inside the porta potty." Seth was frustrated.

"Well with all the chemicals and mess in there it would be compromised." Trina sighed. "I swear he is going above and beyond to keep from leaving anything, anywhere with his DNA on it."

"Either he is guilty or he is bound and determined to not pay child support." Seth sighed. "Come on, let's go back to the station for a bit."

"Might as well we are getting nowhere here." She said as Seth started the car.

"No one has come forward to identify the girl in the second picture that Kingston drew." Seth commented as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"I honestly don't know what is more upsetting. The fact that these girls have been brutally murdered or the fact that we can't identify them and give them some peace." Trina said.

"That really bothers you. I mean it bothers all of us, but it seems to affect you more." Seth looked over at her as he drove.

"It's so sad. Every time I look at those websites and databases of unidentified deceased people…it's so terrible. Just the thought of being dead and no one knowing…..no one grieving for you or caring for your grave or giving you some final dignity…it's like their life ended so empty…or that their life didn't matter." Trina said.

"Let's hope with a little more time we can find out who the last three girls are." Seth said as Trina's phone went off indicating she had a text message.

She picked up her phone and saw that Steve had sent her a message. She opened it: 'Bored listening to this speaker. Thought I would text a pretty lady.' She immediately smiled and texted him back: 'Shouldn't you be paying attention. LOL Heading back to station for lunch with Seth. I haven't choked him…yet.'

"Well from that smile I would say that is Steve texting you." Seth chuckled.

"He says he is listening to a boring speaker." She chuckled. "I assured him I hadn't strangled you yet."

"Nice to know he looks out for me." Seth laughed. "Why are you so happy? It's a text message." Seth asked as he saw her practically glowing as she giggled and tapped on her phone.

"It is just nice to know that he is thinking of me." She lit up.

Seth smiled, glad that this relationship seemed to be working out well. As she was texting her phone rang.

"Conley." She answered.

"Trina…its Dolph. Just got the lab results on Glenn Jacobs. He is not our killer." Dolph said.

"Shit…we are getting nowhere." She sighed.

"We just eliminated a suspect. It is small progress. Any luck on getting Callous' DNA?" he asked.

"No, but I am gonna look more into his background. Something about him just isn't adding up." Trina said.

"Let me know what you find." Dolph hung up.

2000 Hours

Trina was sitting in her living room reading a book with Jack laying on the floor at her feet. She was relaxing after a long day at work, having come up with nothing once again. Her cell phone started ringing on the coffee table in front of the couch. She reached over and saw Steve's number flashing on the screen. She grabbed up the phone and answered the call.

"Hey Steve." She smiled.

"There is my girl. How are you doing?" she heard his voice over the line.

"I was just reading a book. Had a long day at work today. The DNA results came back on Jacobs, he is not our killer. But Seth and I tailed the construction crew all day with no success. Callous even threw away a tobacco spit cup in the porta potty. And still no word on our Jane…."

"Trina…Trina….baby I appreciate your dedication to work but I called to talk to you, not hear about the case." Steve said.

Trina smiled, so happy to hear that he really wanted to talk to her for more than just work. "Okay no talk about work. Tell me about the conference. How is it going?"

"The hotel they put us up in is nice, can't complain about that. A few of the speakers were okay. Sat in a session about profiling, you would've loved it. Then I came back to the hotel, had a quick dinner and now I am watching TV." Steve said. "How was your day?"

"After work I spent some time working in the garden. My cucumber plants are really taking over. Some of the corn should be ready in another week or so." She said.

"Is Seth still alive?" he chuckled.

"Yes, and he says he appreciates that you are looking out for him." She laughed. "It's weird, you have only been gone like a day but…I miss you."

"I'll be home in a few days. I have a few sessions to sit through tomorrow." He said. "I should probably let you get some rest."

"You get some rest too. And try to pay attention to some of the speakers tomorrow." She chuckled. "Goodnight Steve."

"Goodnight….and Trina…..I miss you too." He said.

She hung up the phone smiling.

July 14th, 0830 Hours

Trina walked into the station to start another day of work. When she arrives she sees Seth and John smiling at her as they talk between themselves. As she starts to walk to her desk she sees a large vase of sunflowers sitting there.

"What is this?" she asked as she looked at the vase.

"Miss Hewlette delivered them about five minutes ago. Said they were for you and that she was instructed to deliver them to the station." Layfield smiled.

Trina smiled and opened the card that was in the middle of the sunflowers. 'Thinking of you, Steve'. She smiled even wider and looked over the flowers, admiring how lovely a bouquet of all sunflowers was.

"So Monica, is it from your Richard?" Seth snickered.

"You know good and well I despise that show." She rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad. It lasted 10 years!" Seth chuckled.

"Don't ask me how. Rachel and Monica were two of the biggest bitches ever on TV. Rachel who wouldn't let Ross move on with his life and ruined his marriage. Monica who was controlling and had to have everything her way, and was ridiculous about cleanliness….she needed some therapy for OCD. And don't even get me started on that stupid female roommate Joey had for a while. I will never forgive those people in college for forcing me to endure that show. Always had it on in the lounge." Trina said making Seth laugh more.

"I don't need to have kids, I have you two to babysit." Layfield shook his head.

"And while Phoebe wasn't a bitch…that whole storyline about her brother marrying that old lady teacher. First of all, had I been Phoebe, or that boy's mother I would have called that school and had that woman fired. Teachers having romantic relationships with students is highly inappropriate. And then that whole storyline of Phoebe as a surrogate for them….hell no. It's a nasty marriage and pretty well illegal marriage and now she is helping them have kids?" Trina continued her reasons she hated 'Friends'.

"The actress was pregnant and they had to write it in the show somehow." Seth said through laughter.

"They could have come up with something a lot better than 'brother-marries-old-lady-sister-helps-gross-couple-have-kids' angle." Trina insisted.

"Have I ever told you that you are my favorite lady officer?" Seth threw an arm around her shoulders.

"I am the only lady officer around here." She rolled her eyes.

"Well lady officer, we just got a call I need you and giggles there to handle." Jerry walked out of his office, chuckling himself at the banter among his staff.

"What's up?" Trina asked, nudging at Seth.

"A lady just called in from the diner out near the park. She is a waitress there and she says she remembers serving our most recent Jane Doe. She recognized her from the photo Kingston drew." Jerry said.

"I'll go tail the construction crew, you guys go talk to the waitress." John said.

"Sounds good. When you two get there ask for Sherri Martel." Jerry told them.

"We will, let's go Seth. And if I hear one word about that stupid show I am throwing you out of the car while it is moving." Trina glared at him.

"I am so glad we're 'Friends'." Seth barely suppressed a laugh.

Trina threw her hands up. "I give up. Come on before I strangle you."

0900 Hours

Seth and Trina arrived at the small diner that was near the Blackwater Falls State Park. Seth had driven them over in a department SUV. As they walked into the diner they could see it was busy with the morning breakfast crowd. They walked up to the counter where a few patrons were seated.

"We need to speak to Sherri Martel." Seth said as one of the waitresses passed by.

"Sherri…..some people here to see you!" she yelled into the kitchen. "She'll be right out."

They waited patiently for their witness to come out to speak to them. After a few moments a tall woman with dark black hair came out of the kitchen, dressed in her clean uniform. She hurried over to the officers.

"We can talk outside, I need a smoke anyways." She said.

They shrugged and followed her outside to the parking lot where she leaned against a car and lit up a cigarette.

"Our chief told us you called claiming to recognize the woman in the newspaper?" Trina asked.

"Yeah, that blonde with the short hair. I remember her being here a few days before the 4th of July. Not sure which day but she was here." Sherri said and blew smoke into the air.

"What can you tell us about her? Did she give a name or anything?" Seth asked.

"No, nothing like that. I was working second shift the day she came in. She was alone when she came in. She sat at the counter and ate. After she paid for her meal, she went out to the parking lot as if waiting for a ride." Sherri said.

"Did you see who she left with?" Trina asked.

"No, I didn't. She was in the parking lot for about an hour. Then she was gone. I just figured her ride had arrived." Sherri blew more smoke in the air.

"You said she paid for her meal….did she have a purse or a wallet?" Trina asked making Seth look at her.

"Oh sure, I remember she had a wallet that had a little frog on it. It was kinda cute." Sherri said.

"Did she use a credit card or debit card to pay for her meal?" Seth asked.

"No, she paid in cash." Sherri said. "I remember because she had a lot of cash and I was worried someone might rob her."

"Do you have security cameras on the parking lot?" Seth asked.

"No, just on the inside near the cash register." Sherri said.

"One last question…do the construction crew working in the park come here often?" Trina asked.

"Oh sure, several times a week since they got in town. One of the other girls has a big crush on the one named Jack." Sherri said.

"Well thank you for your time. We appreciate you contacting us." Seth said.

"Wish I could tell you more. I didn't sense she was in any trouble when she was here. If I had known she'd end up murdered I would've talked more with her or kept a closer eye on her." Sherri said.

"We understand. What happened to her is not your fault. Thanks again. If you think of anything else, call us again." Trina said.

They watched as Sherri walked back into the restaurant. They turned and climbed back in the department SUV. Seth started it up and pulled it out of the parking lot driving back towards the station.

"Why did you ask about a purse or wallet? You got a hunch about something?" Seth asked her.

"April Lee's mom insisted she had a wallet and ID with her when she was hitchhiking to that concert. Now we have a witness confirm that a second one of our victims had a wallet but no wallets have been found. I think our killer is keeping them as some kind of trophy." She explained.

"Maybe he is just keeping them to make identifying the girls harder….heaven knows it is working." Seth said.

"I think he is keeping them as trophies. These murders are sexually motivated. He is using the heads for some kind of sex act, when decay forces him to dispose of the heads, he still keeps the wallets. Having those trophies allows him to relive the crime, allows him to relive the thrills, the high, the orgasm. A lot of killers do it." Trina said.

"You still working on that amateur profile?" Seth asked.

"Yes, and while I know I am no professional…from what I can tell, we are dealing with one sick, twisted man." Trina said.

"I think you are right on track. It's obvious this man is choosing victims of chance, but what he really wants from them are their heads." Seth agreed as he drove.

"There has to be a reason why he just keeps the head. He doesn't have vaginal or anal sex with the girls before or after death." Trina thought aloud. "Let's head to the motel the construction crew is staying at?"

"Why?" Seth looked over at her.

"I want to talk to the motel staff, specifically the housekeeping staff." Trina said.

"Okay, let me get turned around." Seth said as he checked traffic and did a U-turn. "You think the motel staff might know something?"

"Well I want to talk to them, and I also want to see if the housekeeping staff would be willing to save the garbage they take out of Callous' room." Trina said. "He hasn't been throwing anything worthwhile at work, but maybe behind closed doors he would let his guard down."

"Not a bad idea." Seth agreed.

Seth drove the few miles to the motel. He parked in the parking lot and they both climbed out of the SUV and walked into the motel office.

"Davis PD, we need to speak with the manager and the head of the housekeeping department." Trina said.

"Trina, does this look like he Hilton? You know I am the manager and we have exactly two maids." Ricky Morton chuckled. "What can I do for you two?"

"Hey Ricky, how's it been going?" Seth asked. Both of them knew Ricky Morton, his family had been members of the chamber of commerce for years.

"Can't complain, with it being summer getting plenty of business." Morton shrugged.

"We're working on the homicide of the four women that have been found dead in the area recently. We'd like to ask you a few questions." Trina said.

"Sure, how can I help?" Morton asked.

Trina handed him pictures of April Lee, Cheat Doe and the second Jane Doe that Kingston had done a drawing of. "Have you seen any of these girls around here?"

"No, I saw the pictures in the newspaper but those girls were never at the motel." Morton looked over the pictures.

"How's it going with the construction crew staying here? Any problems? Noticed anything unusual with any of them?" Trina asked.

"No, they have been just your average long term guests. They don't bother anyone, haven't vandalized anything or trashed any rooms." Morton said. "Are they involved in these murders?"

"We can't speak about an ongoing investigation." Seth said.

"What do you need with my housekeeping staff? Both are currently cleaning rooms." Morton asked.

"We need the garbage collected from the room of Mark Callous." Seth said.

"And we would need this done discreetly and kept quiet." Trina said.

"Just what is going on? Is he a murderer? Is my family in danger letting him stay at the motel?" Morton asked.

"Ricky…..I understand you want answers but right now we can't say anything. But with your cooperation we can get answers we need much faster." Trina explained.

"I will speak with my maids and give them the instructions, I won't tell them why we are saving the trash." Morton said.

"Thank you, an officer will come by every day to collect it. Have them save it daily until we tell you otherwise." Seth explained.

"Is my family safe? I have teenage daughters, you know this!" Morton said.

Trina sighed, caught between not compromising the case and protecting members of the community. "I am going to tell you the same thing I would tell any parent right now. Keep track of your daughters. If they go out, know who they are with, preferably have them go out in groups and above all else make sure they have a ride with someone you know and trust. Make sure they know if they need to ride to call someone they know and trust. I know teenagers might not appreciate it but it could save their lives."

"Okay, but you know how important my girls are to me." Morton said.

"Best thing you can do is make sure they are safe." Seth said.

"Also, do us one more favor. If you see any girls hitchhiking or if any girls come in stranded and can't pay for a room. Keep them here and call us. Make sure they know they aren't in trouble but that you are getting them help." Trina said.

"I will." Morton told her.

"That is all we needed. We'll let you get back to work." Seth said.

"I'll make sure the garbage is collected as you requested." Morton said.

They nodded at him and walked out to the motel. They climbed back into the SUV and Seth once again started towards the Davis Police Station. As they rode Seth noticed Trina typing on her cellphone. He chuckled knowing she was texting Steve in Baltimore.

When they arrived back at the Davis Station they walked inside. Jerry came out of his office to meet with them.

"How did it go?" Jerry asked.

"Well the waitress couldn't tell us very much but she did tell us the girl had a wallet with her. I am still convinced the killer is keeping them as a trophy." Trina said.

"You may be right." Jerry agreed.

"We also stopped by the motel and talked to Ricky Morton. He is gonna have the maids save the garbage from Callous' room so maybe we can get a DNA sample that way since he doesn't seem to throw away much at work." Seth said.

"Good, I am glad you two thought of that. I have been on the phone with Bischoff. He is having a tantrum over the bad press due to the murders." Jerry rolled his eyes.

"We are doing everything we can. Does he expect us to wave a magic wand?" Trina was annoyed.

"And when we solve this case, you watch him stand up there taking credit like he was the one putting in hours and losing sleep." Seth sighed.

"Oh no he won't. Flair and I have both talked and agreed Bischoff will not get to stand up there acting like he did a thing. We are the ones working this case. Not him." Jerry insisted.

1800 Hours

"Trinvilla, go home." Seth told her. "You have been on that computer for the past several hours."

"I have searched every database I know…there is virtually nothing out there on Mark Callous." She said. "And don't call me that."

"So maybe he is a weird guy that never committed a crime." Seth said. "Don't get obsessed."

"Hey…only Steve gets to fuss at me about being obsessed." She said. "Besides, I am starting to think that with so little out there on Callous…maybe that isn't his real name."

"You know…Monica had that OCD thing…and you are kinda getting obsessed about Callous." Seth snickered.

Trina glared at him. "Don't make me strangle you."

"Supposing he did change his name, maybe he did it to help avoid that woman trying to pin a baby on him." Seth suggested.

Trina's phone rang. "Conley."

"Hey Trina, how's it going?" Naomi said on the other end.

"Hey Naomi. Busy, this case is about to drive me insane." She said.

"I thought I better call and check on you since your Boo is out of town." Naomi said, making Trina smile.

"Oh lord, she must've mentioned Steve. You got the stupidest grin on your face." Seth chuckled.

Trina flipped him off as Layfield walked into the station.

"Play nice children." He chuckled.

"Steve is in Baltimore but I am doing okay. How did you know he was out of town?" she asked.

"Jimmy told me. He really likes working with Steve, but says Steve is rarely in the Parsons station. Must be because he is always visiting a certain officer in Davis." Naomi laughed.

"Geez, we are the talk of the county apparently." Trina chuckled.

"Listen, since your man is out of town, why don't you stop over for dinner?" Naomi said. "Besides, I wanna hear all about this new man."

"Sounds good and since Seth is trying to chase me out of the station, I will be there soon." Trina laughed.

2100 Hours

Trina was putting the last few dishes in the dishwasher when she heard her cellphone ring. She looked at it on the counter and saw Steve's number flashing on her phone.

"Hi detective." She giggled as she answered.

"Hello officer." He chuckled and played along with her joke.

"Thank you so much for the flowers, they are just gorgeous. I love them." She gushed and looked at the kitchen table where she had them sitting.

"You're welcome. I am glad you like them." Steve said. "How was your day? Did Seth survive?"

"Yes, I won't kill him until you get home." She laughed. "We had a little progress in the case. Seth and I are gonna pick up the garbage from the motel to get a DNA sample from Callous. We talked with the motel manager today."

"That is a good idea." Steve said.

"A waitress from the little diner by the park came forward saying she remembered seeing the latest Jane Doe. And she says she remembers that girl having a wallet." Trina said as she closed the dishwasher and walked into the living room.

"I'll be sure to read up on everything when I get back."

"So how was the seminar today?" she asked, sitting down on the couch.

"Not bad. Sat in on a good session on violence in teenagers." Steve said. "I missed you. It's just no fun without listening to country music I am clueless about."

She chuckled. "I miss you too. It's weird. Feels like you have been gone longer." She was quiet for a moment. "Steve, am I just a rebound from your divorce?" she blurted out.

"What? Trina, no…..I would not do that to you…or anyone else for that matter. I don't believe in rebound relationships. They are not fair to either party." Steve said. "Are you sure you are really ready for a relationship?"

"It is a little late for that now." She said.

"You are right, we are already pretty involved." Steve said.

"I guess my fear of being hurt is rearing up again. I'm sorry." She said.

"You know I would never purposely hurt you." Steve said. "This is a conversation I never wanted to have over the phone."

"But it is good. At least we got a few things out in the open." She said.

"I promise, if you trust me, everything will be okay." Steve told her, hoping he was getting through to her.

July 15th, 1000 Hours

Seth and Trina were driving to the morgue after picking up the garbage from the motel. Dolph wanted to look through it himself to see if something of value had been thrown away that they could extract DNA from.

"Still missing your Richard?" Seth looked over at her.

"You are a real piece of work, Rollins." She rolled her eyes. "Actually last night I blurted out and asked him if I was a rebound before I could stop myself."

"Trinvilla! You have a good man, will you stop worrying?" Seth was exasperated.

"We ended up having a great talk, I think I just needed some reassurance." Trina said.

"You're lucky he is so patient and understanding." Seth said.

"I know which is why I think he is just what I need." She said. "It's weird but even with him in Baltimore, I feel closer to him than ever."

"Who needs TV? I have your life to watch." Seth laughed.

"Really funny." She rolled her eyes.

Seth pulled into the parking lot of the morgue. They both climbed out and grabbed the bagged garbage from the back of the SUV. As they walked into the building, Trina couldn't help hoping that something they could use was in the bags. Dolph was in the hallway and ushered them into his lab.

"We got the bags." Seth told him as Dolph had them place the bags on the table.

"I will begin looking through them in a bit. I found something interesting you should know." Dolph said.

"Good news?" Trina asked.

"Not really good news, but…I did some further testing on the semen samples left in the mouths of Cheat Doe and…."

"Canaan Doe….I can't stand calling her Jane Doe. She needs something with a little more feeling to it." Trina said.

Dolph smiled. "Okay Canaan Doe she is. I looked more closely at the samples under a microscope and it took a while. But both girls had multiple ejaculations in their mouths and throats. The semen samples showed different rates of age."

"So the killer is keeping the heads and using them multiple times for a sexual act. Pretty well confirming what we already knew. This guy is a freak that would scare the weirdest of the freaks." Seth said.

"It wouldn't surprise me if at one point this guy was into BDSM but didn't play by the rules." Dolph said.

"Rules?" Seth raised an eyebrow.

"Don't be so naïve. People who are into bondage have rules for safety. Safe words, safe signals and discuss limitations so no one gets hurt." Trina said.

"Exactly, my guess is this guy broke the rules with some subs in his day. That is not well accepted in the bondage community." Dolph said.

"Do you two sneak off to sex parties and orgies when I am not around?" Seth asked.

"Yes, Dolph ties me to the bed then makes me wear a princess plug." Trina deadpanned.

"Shhhhh, no one is supposed to know about that or the riding crop." Dolph winked at her.

"Oh you two are insane." Seth rolled his eyes making the other two snicker.

"Oh lighten up." Trina said.

"Let us know if you find anything in the bags. If you don't we'll bring another set tomorrow. The staff is saving them for us until further notice." Seth said.

Dolph nodded and Seth and Trina walked out of the lab and down the hall towards the parking lot. As they climbed into the SUV, Seth could tell that Trina was deep in thought. He started the SUV and headed back towards the station.

"You think any harder and you are gonna give yourself a headache." Seth told her.

"I have a theory." She said.

"Which is?"

"The killer is obviously using the heads for some kind of sex act, my guess is oral sex…or as crude as it may sound using the head like a masturbation toy." She said.

"Seems possible, Dolph found ejaculate in each recovered head." Seth said.

"It stands out to me that these heads were found made up. I think the killer keeps make-up that he uses on the heads after decapitating the victim. He must be trying to get them to look a certain way." She said.

"I worry there is going to be more victims." Seth said.

"I do too. He is killing at a quick rate and shows no signs of slowing down. And with this being a tourist area he pretty well has a buffet of available victims." She sighed. "Jerry or Ric may need to call in the state police."

"What could they do that we aren't already besides get in our way?" Seth asked.

"I don't know. But we need to investigate more on Callous. Something about him isn't right. Unless you are trying to hide something, it is natural to throw away something with your DNA on it." She said.

"You might be getting too fixated on him as a suspect."

"More than that….if he knows how to hide DNA this well….he must've had run-ins with the police before. The average person would throw things away and not think about it." She insisted.

"But his record is clean."

"Which leads me back to my thought about Callous not being his real name. If he got in trouble with police before, knows he needs to hide his DNA…..and if he changed his name we wouldn't know about any previous record." She said.

"If he knew to hide his DNA, why would he leave DNA inside victims? Why not use condoms when defiling a victim?" Seth looked at her.

"Who knows his reason? Maybe he is like most men and complains that with a condom he can't feel anything? I mean if you are going to all the trouble to kill women, maybe he figures he might as well enjoy it. Who knows? Profiling is not an exact science, it is difficult to get into the head of a killer." Trina sighed. "But I am telling you….something isn't right about him."

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _This chapter was mainly build up for the next two in which things break big time. And how ironic that when Steve is away in the story, Sting makes his return on Raw. LOL Love the reviews and looking forward to more as we are getting on the home stretch. Batistasprincess (glad that you could connect with that. I wanted to show real human emotions.) Paisley2 (Funny you should mention the boys….just have patience), Debwood-1999 (Hang in there, it's coming)._


	19. Steve Comes Home

**Warning-** Content in this chapter rated M. I am thinking of changing the story rating just to be safe, but no final decision yet. However, you have been warned that this chapter contains mature content. Read at your own discretion.

July 16th, 1100 Hours

"Okay Trinvilla, what has you all smiles and goofy looking today. You haven't stopped smiling and I figured you would be cussing a blue streak that we haven't been able to get DNA out of the garbage from the motel yet." Seth looked over at her.

"Steve is coming home today." She said. "I promised to have a home cooked meal waiting for him figuring he was tired of restaurant food after a few days in Baltimore."

"You must be over the moon, I used your full name and you didn't even blink." Seth laughed.

"We had the most amazing night last night." She smiled again.

"Phone sex?" Seth raised an eyebrow.

"No, get your mind out of the gutter. We talked for like three hours last night. Did you know he used to have season tickets to the LA Raiders?" Trina said.

"Oh one of those talk for hours about everything nights." Seth chuckled. "Looks like you have a keeper this time."

The phone rang and Trina picked it up. "Davis Police Department."

"Yes, I need to speak with the person in charge of the recent Jane Doe's found deceased. I'm Detective Johnson of the Wheeling PD." Came the reply.

"Detective….I'm Officer Trina Conley and I am assigned to that case. How can I help you?" she said and grabbed her notepad.

"We had a distraught family in here yesterday, reporting their daughter missing. They said she went on a day trip to the Canaan Valley because she wanted to draw some sketches. Your department has been sending out information about three Jane Does found there recently and felt I should call immediately." Johnson told her.

"Yes sir, can you tell me when this woman went missing?" Trina hurriedly took notes.

"The parents said she left for the Canaan Valley Park on June 27th. When she didn't come home they gave her twenty-four hours thinking maybe she had car trouble." Johnson said.

"June 27th…..that was nearly three weeks ago….why did they wait so long to report her missing?" Trina asked.

"They said they gave her a few days thinking maybe she had taken off for a few days, after all she is a college student. And I guess they couldn't agree what to do. It seemed to me that the mother was in a panic but the father was still trying to cling to the thought his child had just taken off. I was surprised they waited so long as well." Johnson said.

"We did find an unidentified female around that time. Do you have any fingerprints or a DNA sample from the missing girl? And what is her name?"

"Missing female is Layla El, 21 years old. No fingerprints she is not in the system." Johnson told her. "However her parents have me a few vitals you will need. She is 5 foot 2, weighs about 130 pounds, brown eyes, brown hair worn long. And has a tattoo on her ankle."

Trina sat back in her chair the minute he said she had a tattoo on her ankle. They had not released that to the press, it was part of the information they were keeping private to help evaluate witnesses and suspects. Seth saw her face and came over to her desk.

"Detective Johnson, do you have a number where I can reach the family? Based on this information I feel I should speak with them." Trina said.

Johnson read the number of the parents to her and she wrote it down. He also gave her his number for follow up. "If you need anything else, give me a call. Ask for Dwayne Johnson."

"Thank you for everything Detective. I will be in touch." She hung up. "Jerry!"

"Think she is our third girl?" Seth asked as Jerry walked out of his office.

"Can't say for sure but time frame matches, physical description matches down to a tattoo on the ankle." Trina sighed. "This may be the girl we found the night of the Mayor's Ball."

"What's going on Trina?" Jerry asked.

"Got a call from a detective in Wheeling. They have a missing girl that could be our third victim. She was supposed to do sketches at Canaan Valley Park on June 27th and never made it home. Physical description seems to fit." She explained. "Detective gave me the number of her family."

Jerry looked over her notes. "This may be her. Okay, Trina you call the family and see what other information you can get. See if they would be willing to come down to view the body or even if they would give a DNA sample to compare to our victim's. Seth get out to the park and relieve John." Jerry said.

As Seth gathered his things to go to the park and relieve John from duty of trying to get something with DNA on it from Callous, Trina dialed the El family to speak with them.

"Hello, is this Mrs. El?" she asked when a female voice came on the line.

"Yes."

"Hi, mam. This is Officer Trina Conley of the Davis West Virginia Police Department. Do you have a few minutes to speak with me about your daughter Layla's missing person's case?" she said, praying that she could find the gentlest way to ask these questions.

"Of course, have you found her? Is she okay?"

Trina winced at her words. "We don't know anything for sure yet. I would like to ask you some questions that might help us figure out where your daughter is. I was contacted by Detective Dwayne Johnson from Wheeling."

"What do you need to know? Have you found her alive? Did you say Davis…oh no…..that's where those murders have been happening. I was afraid of this." The woman broke down crying.

"Mrs. El, I am sorry but the news may be bad. I don't want to say too much until I get a bit more information. Are you sure you are up to this?" she asked.

"Yes, go on." She sniffled.

"Could you tell me the clothes Layla wore the day she traveled to the Canaan Valley Park?" Trina asked, as she reached for her notepad once again.

"Ummmm, she had on shorts and a pink shirt. And she was wearing sandals." Mrs. El said and Trina closed her eyes. It was what the third victim was found in, she had the files practically memorized at this point.

"Did Layla come alone? Was she supposed to meet anyone at the park?" Trina asked.

"She was alone. It was supposed to be a day trip. She was driving her own car." She answered.

"Do you know the make, model and plate ID of her car?" Trina asked as she wrote.

"Yes it was a 1999 Ford Focus, green in color. Plates were WV tags, RT7548." Mrs. El said.

"I wish there were an easier way to say this but we may have found your daughter and if it is her, she was found deceased. Now the ID is not positive yet. Would you or your husband be willing to come to Davis to do an ID or to submit a DNA sample for comparison? We need to be sure and I know you do as well." She said as gently as she knew how.

"Yes, of course. When do we need to be there?" Mrs. El asked and Trina could tell the woman was in tears again.

"Our medical examiner will call you with the arrangements and give you the information. Again, I am sorry. I wish the news was better." Trina said.

Trina and Mrs. El made their goodbyes and hung up the phone. Trina then called Dolph with the latest developments, the information about Layla El and asked him to make the arrangements with the El family. Dolph promised he would and then would get back to her. When she hung up and sat back in her chair for a moment.

Jerry walked out of his office, wanting to check on her. He could see the sadness on her face and knew she was hurting for the El family.

"How did it go?" Jerry walked over to her.

"Is there ever a nice way to tell someone their child is most likely dead?" she sighed.

"Compassion which I know you have. Maybe I should have called myself, but you have such a kind heart." Jerry said. "Find out anything?"

"All signs are pointing to our third victim being Layla El. Physical description and clothes match. Dolph is making arrangements for the family to come in. Also, Layla's mom mentioned Layla was driving her own car….that doesn't fit our killer's MO." She frowned.

"Maybe he was able to catch her alone somewhere?" Jerry offered.

"Maybe, but where is the car? I have the vehicle information. Do you mind if I start calling impound yards and garages in the county and surrounding counties? Maybe the killer abandoned it somewhere and it has been hauled in." she asked.

"Good idea. When John gets in, have him help you. I know this is a rough case but you are doing very well." Jerry said.

"Thanks, just wish we could solve it." She said.

1800 Hours

Trina was still contacting impound yards in the area while John called garages. He had volunteered to call garages so she wouldn't have to deal with Joe. Jerry walked out and looked at the two of them.

"Trina, go home. Steve is coming home, you have plans with him. Go home." Jerry told her.

"Yes Monica, go cook dinner for Richard." Seth walked into the station, having been watching the construction crew at the park.

"I swear I am going to choke the life out of you." Trina glared at him. "And I can't go home now. We caught a big break."

"I will take over making calls and faxing the car description. Go enjoy Steve being back." Seth told her.

"He's right go on. You know we look out for each other. You have missed him, now go enjoy the fact he is home." John told her.

She smiled. "Okay, I am outnumbered and I have missed him."

"Then get out of here." Jerry chuckled.

"Okay but if anything huge breaks, call me. Steve will want to know too." Trina said as she stood, gathering her things.

"We will, now go on. Tell him hi from us." John said.

Trina nodded and waved as she walked out. The guys looked at each other.

"As happy as she is with him and as much as she missed him, I ain't calling her tonight if the killer walks in and confesses." Seth said.

"Me either." Jerry agreed.

"She'll kill us." John chuckled. "But I am glad she is happy."

1900 Hours

Trina was in her kitchen hurrying to fix dinner. She had rushed home from the station, taken a quick shower and was now working on dinner. She had a lasagna in the oven, wine in the fridge and she was cutting up vegetables for a salad.

She heard Steve's truck in the driveway and she hurried out of the house. As he climbed out of the driver's side, Trina ran off the porch and threw her arms around him.

"That is quite a greeting." He chuckled and held her tight as she showed no signs of letting go.

"I am just so glad you are here." She said. "How was the drive back?"

"It was fine. How was your day?" he asked.

"I will tell you all about it after I get a kiss." She winked.

Steve chuckled and leaned in and kissed her. They both let the kiss linger, realizing they had missed each other more than they thought they would've for just a few days apart. She rested her head on his shoulder. Steve rubbed her back.

"Gonna tell me about your day now?"

"Yes, come on. I have a lasagna in the oven." She took his hand and they started walking towards the house. "We had a huge break in the case today." She said as they walked into the house.

"Get a DNA sample from Callous yet?" Steve asked.

"No, he is being very careful. Both at work and at the motel he is not throwing away anything that we can use." She said. "But we had a huge break on our third victim." She went back to cutting vegetables for the salad."

"Positive ID?" Steve asked as he leaned against the doorframe.

"Not yet but every sign is there we just need it confirmed. Got a call from a detective in Wheeling. A girl from there never returned after a day trip to Canaan Valley Park. Description of her clothing, tattoo and physical description matches." Trina said as she worked. "Her family is coming in tomorrow to ID the body. Dolph made the arrangements. Problem is this girl was driving her own car and it has not been found but we are still calling impound yards and such."

"Glad progress is being made." Steve said.

"How was the conference?" she asked.

"It wasn't terrible. Glad that it's over. I brought you back some books and leaflets from the seminar though." He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'll look through them when I get a chance." She leaned back into him.

"You smell nice." Steve nuzzled her neck.

"I showered after work." Her eyes closed.

The oven timer went off breaking the mood. She quickly pulled away from Steve and went to turn off the timer. She grabbed her oven mitts and took the lasagna out of the oven. "Would you grab the wine out of the fridge?"

"Sure." Steve walked over to the fridge as she went about setting the food on the table.

Once everything was set up on the table they sat down to have dinner. Steve poured them each a glass of wine as Trina cut the lasagna.

"This smells great." Steve said.

"Well I hope you enjoy it. I made up the lasagna this morning so that after work I could just pop it in the oven." She smiled.

"Did you kill Seth while I was gone?" he chuckled at their ongoing joke.

"No, he is fine. He has been working the case as hard as the rest of us. Seth can be playful but he is a great cop." Trina smiled.

"I am puzzled how Callous has gone this long and not thrown away something with his DNA on it. A used tissue, a straw anything?"

"It tells me that he knows we are looking for something to be thrown away and is being extra careful. He is hiding something, what is the question." Trina sighed. "Let's face it, with all the cop shows and forensic shows these days you don't have to be a genius to avoid leaving DNA anymore."

"Enough about work, we will have to deal with that soon enough. Right now I am just glad to be here." He smiled.

"So what is Baltimore like? I have never been there. Did you get to see the ships?" she asked as she ate.

"I didn't really do sightseeing. It does seem like a beautiful area though." Steve said. "Surprised you haven't been there, it is not that far."

"Never had the opportunity to go before. We didn't get to do much vacationing. Dad's health got bad pretty early on. Black lung is a brutal killer." Trina said.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories." He said.

"It's fine. I came to grips with his death a long time ago." She said. "What the hotel like?"

"It was very fancy but kinda boring because I was alone." He winked.

"Ummm, what?" she looked up at him.

"It was one of those real fancy places, you know…valet parking, indoor pool and sauna, outdoor pool and cabanas, two bars, a restaurant, a gym, a spa…like I said, no fun alone." Steve said.

"You could've done some of that stuff with the guys you met at the conference." She chuckled.

"Yeah, imagine me asking another guy to go get a massage at the spa!" Steve said with sarcasm.

"Not the spa, but you and a few guys could have grabbed a few beers in the bar." She laughed.

"No thanks. I have been to dozens of these conferences over the years. A lot of guys use these as a way to cheat on their wives. They either pick up a girl at the conference or they bring a girl with them to the conference." Steve explained.

"That's terrible!" Trina said.

"I know. A few years ago….one of the detectives I worked with in LA went to a conference in San Diego. His wife, absolutely sweet wonderful woman, decided to go to San Diego and surprise him and they could make a little vacation out of it. She gets there and surprise….he had brought his mistress with him." Steve said.

"What a jerk! I hope she divorced his sorry ass after kicking it." Trina said.

"They eventually divorced. And that is just one example." Steve said.

"Who goes to a work conference to act like a jackass? Men are so dumb!" she asked as she poured a second glass of wine.

"It isn't always men. A few years ago….I still laugh at this….my department sent several of us to a conference in Sacramento. Among the group that went were these two female officers, Tammy and Denise, both were best friends. Well Tammy had brought her female neighbor along for the weekend and Denise had brought her new boyfriend. They were all four sharing a suite." Steve began telling a story. "After our first day of sessions, a lot of us went to the bar. Denise was in the bar with Tammy's neighbor. Well Tammy's neighbor got up and left and about five minutes later comes into the bar, she says something to Denise and they both leave. The next thing we know hotel security is hurrying upstairs because all hell has broken loose."

"What on earth happened?" Trina was intrigued.

"From what we heard when security was able to break up the mess…when the neighbor had left the bar alone, she returned to the suite and found Tammy performing oral sex on Denise's boyfriend. The neighbor then went back to the bar and got Denise and when the neighbor and Denise both walked in, they found the boyfriend and Tammy having sex doggy style." Steve laughed. "We all cracked up and carried on and couldn't believe it! I mean who acts this way in front of their co-workers?"

"Are you serious? And these girls were best friends? Did Denise beat the hell out of Tammy?" Trina asked.

"No, Denise and the boyfriend ended up leaving together that night. Tammy cried and was embarrassed the rest of the weekend. The following week by Wednesday they were best friends again." Steve said.

"Who the hell acts like this? First off, I find another woman sucking off my man, I am beating her ass and then his. And I certainly wouldn't have left with him, I'd have made his ass take a bus back home. And then that whore would've known not to even look at me again, let alone be her friend again!" she said and Steve laughed at her speaking her mind.

"Now you know why those two became the department joke for about a year!" Steve said. "And damn I have missed the crazy random things you say."

"Well if I had known you had this gem of a story you hadn't told me, I'd have driven to Baltimore to hear it. It's hilarious…like Jerry Springer." She laughed. "And I am just trying to picture such a thing happening here…like John walking in and Seth is plowing his wife." She laughed harder making Steve nearly choke on his wine.

"Trina…..that is not funny!" Steve looked at her.

"If you could see John's face in my mind it is." She laughed more.

"What if you walked in and it was me with John's wife?" Steve asked with a smirk.

"I'd find John and we'd both get even." She shot back.

"You are so crazy." Steve smiled at her fondly. "But I wouldn't want to make John too mad. Something tells me he has a temper when provoked."

"He does but mostly he is a big teddy bear." Trina laughed. "Wow…that laugh felt good. Been a long day."

"I am glad my insane story helped….besides you look beautiful when you're smiling." He said. "And dinner was fabulous."

"Glad you enjoyed it. Want another glass of wine?" she offered.

"Sure, but let's take it outside. It's cooled down a bit and you can actually breathe." Steve said.

"Good idea." Trina said as she stood up and grabbed the bottle.

They both carried their glasses onto the back porch and sat down on the swing with the bottle of wine.

"You know, I think that trip coming when it did was a good thing." Steve wrapped his arm around her.

"You got good information at the conference?" she looked up at him.

"Sorta….made me realize how much I really care about you. And how much I missed you." He rubbed her shoulder.

"You talked to me every day." She chuckled.

"I know, but during the day, I would get bored with whatever the speaker was talking about and I would wonder what country song you were singing while driving…or what were you and Seth carrying on about…or what you were doing in the garden….and even on the phone the crazy things you say aren't as cute without seeing the faces you make when you say them." Steve said.

"What do you mean faces I make?" she looked at him.

"When you are on one of your goofy tangents or saying something crazy, your face is adorable….your eyes light up, sometimes they roll, sometimes they cross…and, it's hard to explain but it is adorable." He kissed her forehead.

"I missed you too. It wasn't the same when Seth worries I am working too much. And I Jerry isn't as attractive as you are, so I had no eye candy. Although Dolph and I did creep Seth out so that was fun." She giggled.

"What did you two do?" Steve chuckled.

"How much do you know about the bondage scene?" she looked at him.

"What did you two do while I was gone?" Steve looked wide-eyed.

"Nothing like that." She giggled. "Dolph and I were discussing the case and mentioned the possibility that our killer was into BDSM but was probably shunned by the community for not following the rules. Apparently as well studied as Seth is, he doesn't know much about bondage and got a little weirded out that Dolph and I did so we played it up a bit."

"You are always into mischief." He chuckled. "And glad to know I don't have to have words with Dolph. I don't share."

"You don't have to worry, I don't want anyone else." She leaned over and kissed him.

"Glad to hear it because I am past the point of giving you up without a fight." Steve kissed her back.

He pulled her into his lap as he continued kissing her. She ran her fingers through his hair, making him moan softly.

"Trina….." he didn't want to push her.

"It's okay…come on." She stood up and took his hand.

Steve followed her as she walked back into the house and gently tugged his hand up the stairs to her bedroom. He watched her face for any signs of discomfort or doubt, but she looked calm and was smiling.

Steve pulled Trina to him and kissed her. Their mouths joined gently as their hands explored each other's bodies. Steve's badge and gun were tossed to the floor, along with the shoes he wore. In less time than it took to think about it, the two of them were on the bed. As Steve slid the straps of Trina's sundress down her arms, Steve's mouth moved to kiss the skin not covered by the bra Trina wore, cupping the lace covered breast with one of his hands. With his fingers he pushed the delicate material aside, exposing the nipple. The nipple then vanished between his lips as well.

"Oh God!" Trina cried out as she felt the wetness of Steve's mouth engulf her flesh.

The exclamation moved Steve to Trina's other breast, exposing it as well with equal attention.

She lifted her own arms and undid the buttons of Steve's shirt, pulling it open when the last one was done. Trina's actions finally got Steve's attention and he lifted himself up and removed his shirt totally. Steve then reached down and undid his pants and Trina helped him push them off. Steve pulled Trina's dress down over her hips and tossed it off the side of the bed. He then slid her panties off and tossed them beside her dress.

"You just lay back, relax and let me take care of everything." Steve whispered. Stretching out across the bed, Trina did just as she was told. A low moan spilled from Trina's lips as Steve's talented fingers reached deep within her. Pleasure increased dramatically as Steve began to gently kiss Trina as well.

Already close to the edge, familiar sensations began to fill Trina's body as it hurdled toward her first orgasm. Suddenly it was upon her as her body stiffened and a loud cry of orgasm filled the room. Trina quivered in ecstasy for long moments. Trina closed her eyes as the last of the tremors left her, savoring the warmth that still filled her body. Lowering his head, he kissed Trina.

"You okay?" he smiled down at her.

"Yeah…..just took my breath away for a minute." She ran her fingers through his hair.

He chuckled. "That was nothing…just you wait."

"About that…..it's been a while…a long while. I haven't been intimate with anyone since Joe…and I wasn't even having sex with him the last two months we were together." She explained. "I don't mean to bring him up but…well…."

"It will be okay. We can go slow, easy…..whatever you need." He stroked her cheek.

Steve stood and pulled off his boxers. He climbed back on the bed. He smiled and leaned in to kiss her again. She moaned softly into his mouth and traced her hands over his muscled shoulders she had admired while watching him work. He gently kissed along her cheek and down her neck.

"You are so beautiful." He whispered against her skin.

He sat up slightly and took her hand. He brought it to his lips and kissed from her wrist down to her shoulder. He enjoyed the blissful glazed look coming over Trina's features. He kissed along her shoulders.

"That feels so good." She said, but he wasn't sure she was aware she said it.

As he kissed down her other arm to her wrist, he realized that while she might not have had sex in many months, it had been even longer since she had made love. From what he knew of her relationship with Joe, he seriously doubted the man had ever taken time to touch and worship her.

He traced his fingers over her stomach, gently tracing her bellybutton making her chuckle.

"Someone is ticklish." He chuckled.

"I bet you are too." She smiled and softly tickled his sides, making him squirm. "I knew it."

"Do you know how beautiful you are when you smile?" he leaned down and nuzzled her chin.

"I am glad you think so." She kissed him.

"Sometimes I am not sure what such a pretty young girl is doing with me." He kissed both her cheeks.

"Don't you ever look in the mirror?" she reached up to trace his nose and eyebrows. "You have such handsome features. Gorgeous smile, warm eyes, soft lips…and that body I watch when you aren't looking."

He chuckled and kissed her again while rubbing her neck. She ran her hands over the muscles in his back. She lifted her leg and traced a path down his calf with her foot.

Steve smiled and knelt again between Trina's legs. He pushed her legs up so they were bent at the knees. Steve positioned it at Trina's entrance. Trina groaned when she felt the head at her opening

"Relax," Steve cooed. Trina nodded her head and took a deep breath, then slowly let it out.

Steve pressed forward slowly with his hips and Trina felt the head slip into her, Steve kept up the slow steady pressure and Trina felt her muscles begin to give, slowly, inexorably the head stretching her open. Steve held his hips still and let Trina adjust to him before he

slowly pressed forward again. Steve began to slowly rock his hips, not thrusting forward as yet, but moving in an even motion that withdrew a few centimeters then pushed it back in.

"Like that?" he smirked.

Trina's body jerked each time he moved. Finally he came to rest inside Trina. Trina was totally lost in sensation. Her inner muscles spasmed around him. Steve slowly withdrew and then pushed back in, the motion was slow and gentle, allowing Trina to get used to it. Steve was patient and kept the slow rhythm until he saw Trina's hips begin to thrust back to meet him.

Steve wrapped his arms around Trina's kneess and holding her tight he lengthened his strokes and picked up the tempo. Each stroke produced tiny sounds in her throat that escaped as whimpers and little cries of passion mixed in with her ragged breathing. Steve was still thrusting into her slowly. Jagged pleasure ripped through her body, driving her ever upwards into a cloud of pure bliss. She tossed her head from side to side and had a death grip on the comforter when her orgasm blasted her mind. The contractions were so strong they seemed to squeeze the very breath from her lungs and the pleasure so intense she bit her lip to keep from screaming.

"Trina...baby!" Steve moaned but didn't slow down.

Through it all Steve never slowed, but actually picked up the pace, driving in with more and more force until Trina felt her breath leave her body with each thrust. The previous orgasm was still rippling through her consciousness when a second even more shattering peak arrived. Trina cried out and her back arched until only her shoulder blades were touching the mattress.

"Fuck, oh god." she chanted in time his thrusts. She was totally lost in pleasure.

Trina came down slowly, only to realize she was still being thrust into. Steve increased the tempo, working into Trina with clocklike regularity. The pleasure became so intense her mind began to misfire, things took on a strange, almost dream like quality. She felt another orgasm building; this one would not be small, she could tell. Without warning her body spasmed and her inner muscles clenched him, the raw pleasure that assaulted her brain and nerves was beyond the scope of any orgasm she had ever had.

"Steve….fuck…..I…" Trina screamed.

"Fuck…I can't hold out any more." Steve stilled and came inside her.

Steve withdrew and crawled up onto the bed and lay down on his side with his head propped up on his hand. He smiled down at Trina and playfully kissed her nose.

"You okay?" Steve asked.

"I have never cum like that." Trina said.

"You gave me a run for my money." Steve kissed her.

"I nearly blacked out." she said and reached up to stroke his face. "Where did you learn how to...make me orgasm so much?"

He chuckled and pulled her against him. "Some practice, some patience...learning to pay attention to your partner's reaction."

"You enjoyed it too right?" She looked up at him, her face full of uncertainty. He was about to ask if she was kidding, but when he saw her expression he realized she was insecure for some reason.

"Enjoyed it is a huge understatement. You really have no idea how desirable you are. You're beautiful, and responsive and passionate." He kissed her softly.

She looked down as if lost in thought but when she looked back up at him, she was smiling.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah...just...so happy." She curled against him.

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _This wasn't exactly what I had planned for this chapter but once I got started, it ran away with me. So major break coming in the next one because if I included everything in this chapter I had planned to, it would be forever long. But I love the reviews and to answer a few questions….the story is maybe got 5ish chapters left. Love my reviewers. Cdajr, Paisley2 (Yes I have been a fan forever it seems. And Cornette….I still look back on him with that racket and goofy suits and crack up.), Debwood-1999 (Trust me, huge break is in next chapter but it will require a bit of thought.), Batistasprincess (I am cracking up that Seth and Trina are like siblings, but in WWE Sting is feuding with Seth.) jcott3 (Yes that was Miss Elizabeth.), carlyrosanna1983._


	20. Third Victim Identified

July 17th, 0630 Hours

Sun was shining through the window in Trina's room. Steve had woken up a bit ago but was just watching Trina sleep curled on his chest. The house was quiet. He gently rubbed her back, thinking he could get used to waking up like this. Steve had never been one for casual relationships, even in his younger days. He knew he was falling for Trina; that had become blatantly obvious to him while he was in Baltimore. And he had a feeling that she too had strong feelings for him now that she was moving past her past.

She started to stir and slowly opened her eyes. He leaned down and kissed her. "Good morning."

She smiled. "It is a good morning."

"You look so beautiful in the mornings." He brushed the hair away from her face.

"Must be because you make me so happy." She kissed him again.

He rolled her under him and kissed her harder. She wrapped her arms around him, bringing one of her legs up around his waist.

"As much as I would love to continue this. We need to get to work. We have the El family coming today." Steve said and kissed her nose.

"You're right." She agreed. "You want to shower here?"

"Yeah, I got some spare clothes in the truck." He kissed her again and sat up.

"I'll start us some coffee." She said as she grabbed a robe. "Jack probably needs to go out."

Steve went to take a shower, using the upstairs bathroom, while Trina went downstairs. She let Jack outside and then went to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. She saw her cats were hanging around the porch, waiting to be fed. After starting the coffee pot she poured some kibble into a bowl and carried it out onto the porch. The cats came running, used to the morning routine.

She chuckled and walked back into the house. The coffee pot was still brewing. She walked to the front door and let Jack back in the house. She began sifting through the information and handouts that Steve had brought back from Baltimore. She noticed a session on unsolved murders had been done. She picked up the booklet that went with it.

"Coffee ready?" Steve called down the stairs.

"Should be. I'll get you a cup." She called back.

"Extra creamer, I know how you make it." Steve laughed.

Trina laughed and walked into the kitchen pouring two mugs of coffee. She put extra creamer in Steve's just as he requested. She heard him walk into the kitchen. She turned and saw he was fully dressed and ready for work.

"I need to get a bottle of men's body wash or something to keep here. The guys are gonna think I am weird if I keep smelling like a girl using your body wash." Steve chuckled as she handed him a cup of coffee.

"With the stories I have heard about Sheriff Flair over the years, he would just ask for details." She giggled.

"Yeah, he has quite the reputation of a ladies man." Steve agreed. "I need to get to the office in Parsons. Flair will want a debriefing and I need to catch up on what I missed while I was away."

"You'll meet us at the Coroner's Office when the El family arrives?" she double checked.

"Yes and we can also speak to Dolph and see if he is getting anywhere with getting a DNA sample from Callous." Steve said. "I better get going."

"I'll see you then." She smiled and kissed him.

He rested his forehead against hers. "I better get out of here before I make us both late. I know you are naked under there."

"Go on before you really have some crazy story to tell Ric." She giggled.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah something like 'I lifted her onto the kitchen counter, pushed her legs apart and had a quickie. Then made it to work on time like a boss." She winked.

Steve had to step back before he did just that. "You and the crazy things you say. I am going. See you later."

"See you around 11." She smiled watching him walk out.

0800 Hours

Trina walked into the station smiling brightly and sat down at her desk. She was dressed in her uniform and carrying some of the informational packets Steve brought back from Baltimore. John and Seth were already at the station. Layfield had been volunteering for the night shift lately as his wife was on an extended business trip.

"Good morning, guys. Any news on the case? Did you find Layla's car?" She asked as she joined them.

"The car has not been impounded by any police department in the state or the state police. No garages in the area had it either." John answered.

"Our next move is to put out an APB for the car in the state and surrounding states." Jerry walked over to join them.

"And we have the El family coming at 11 this morning." Trina reminded them.

"I'll leave you guys to it. John, when you're ready go collect the garbage from the motel then you can head home." Jerry said.

Trina sat down at her desk and started up her computer, ready to start with the APB. Seth sat down at his desk as Jerry went into his office and John left to go to the motel. Trina began typing up the APB. She knew once the positive ID was made on Layla that she would need to contact Detective Johnson again.

"Okay what is with you today?" Seth asked her.

"What do you mean?" she looked up at him.

"You're all smiles and glowing…..you had sex with Steve!" Seth chuckled as realization hit him.

"Your point?"

"Well I was about to ask about Viagra but from the look on your face I know that wasn't needed." Seth chuckled more.

"Oh brother!" she rolled her eyes.

"So Monica…"

"Rollins, so help me…" she glared at him making him laugh more.

"Seriously though, I am happy for you. And to be honest…Joe never put a look on your face like Steve has." Seth admitted.

"Well if Joe had been half as good in bed as Steve is, Nicola would've stayed with him all along and I would've never dated Joe." Trina said.

"You know…I always thought your complaints about Joe in bed were sour grapes. But seeing how you glow today…..you were telling the truth." Seth said.

"No honey that wasn't sour grapes, that was leave-me-alone-you-don't-know-what-you-are-doing-and won't-try-anything-different." Trina said. "Steve is wonderful. Takes his time, spends time in all the right places, responds as needed."

"Should I go put on a bra for this conversation?" Seth laughed at being her 'girlfriend'.

"No, but if you ever need some man to man advice….go to Steve." Trina winked.

"Like I need advice." Seth puffed out his chest. "But real talk….I am happy for you. You deserve the best of everything and Steve seems to be that."

"I think so too." She smiled.

1100 Hours

Trina arrived at the county morgue and Steve was waiting for her. They sat in the reception area out front rather than going in the back door like usual. Dolph came out to speak to them while they waited for the El family to arrive.

"How are you going to do this?" Steve asked Dolph.

"I delicately explained to the family yesterday that the body we had recovered had been decapitated and the head had not yet been recovered. I figured it would be best if they could prepare themselves for that." Dolph explained, he looked tired and they could tell the case was beginning to wear on him. "I think it would be best to let them see the clothing from the victim first, let them ID that first. If they confirm it is their daughter's clothing, I am going to let them ID the body by looking at her tattoo and keeping the rest of the body covered unless it becomes needed for them to see more."

"That sounds like a good idea." Trina said.

"I arranged the body in a viewing room and made sure the body was as clean and neat as possible." Dolph said.

"That is good, it will help." Steve assured him.

A group of people walked in the front door of the morgue. An older couple that was obviously shaken up along with a younger man dressed in a business suit.

"I'm Detective Dwayne Johnson." The younger man spoke. "The El family asked me to come with them, I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. Glad you are offering your support. I'm Officer Trina Conley, we spoke on the phone." She extended her hand. "This is Detective Steve Borden. And this is our Medical Examiner Dolph Ziggler. They have been working the case as well."

After the introductions were finished. Dolph briefly spoke with the El family explaining to them that they could take as much time as they needed and that they had everyone's support. Johnson was impressed at the compassion shown by the small town officials. Some officers and medical examiners were so businesslike that they came off cold. But these people were caring, compassionate and seemed to almost be grieving as well.

Dolph led the group down the hall to a small conference room. "I am going to ask that you do not touch any of the clothing in case further testing is needed. I know the urge may be strong to touch something if you feel these clothes belonged to your daughter but do not." Dolph gently explained.

The family nodded and Trina braced herself for the rush of emotions she was sure the family would have. Steve discreetly squeezed her hand, letting her know he was there for her. Dolph removed the pink t-shirt from an evidence bag and Mrs. El's eyes immediately welled up.

"That's Layla's Victoria Secrets shirt." Mrs. El cried and leaned against her husband.

"I know this is difficult but I need to show you the rest of the clothing to be sure. So many people wear that style of shirt." Dolph said gently.

Dolph pulled a pair of sandals out of the evidence bag and Mrs. El cried more. Mr. El seemed to be holding his emotions inside.

"Those are Layla's sandals." Mr. El said.

"Are you sure you both feel up to viewing the body?" Dolph asked, seeing that Mrs. El was distraught.

"Yes, I want to see my baby. I have to know if that is really her lying in that room in there." Mrs. El said.

"Of course, but please take a few moments to gather yourselves." Dolph said.

They stepped into the hall and gave the family a few moments alone to calm down a bit. It was a heartbreaking scene, parents trying to console each other before they had to view what was left of their child's body. Finally they walked down the hall to join the others.

Dolph walked into the room alone and opened a curtain so they could see into the room. With the curtain drawn they could see an exam table with the body lying under a sheet.

"This woman has a tattoo on her ankle, do you think you could make a positive ID off just a viewing of that tattoo?" Dolph asked the family.

They both nodded. Dolph pulled back the sheet enough to reveal the ankle tattoo. Mrs. El became hysterical.

"Let me see my daughter, I need to see her." She rushed towards the door and tried to open it but it was locked.

"I'll take her out of here, you stay with the father and Detective Johnson." Trina whispered to Steve. She stepped forward and gently pulled the hysterical woman away from the door. "Come on Mrs. El."

The woman finally slumped against Trina and allowed her to walk them back down the hall and out to the reception area. She helped her into a seat and sat beside her.

"Who did this? Have you caught the bastard?" Mrs. El asked.

"Not yet mam, but I promise you everything possible can be done. We are even working with a top FBI forensic artist and our county detective was just in Baltimore." She wanted the woman to know Layla would not be a forgotten victim.

"But why her?" Mrs. El cried harder.

"Mrs. El, I know it's not much but I want you to know that from the time Layla was found, she has been in the best of care. Dr. Ziggler is wonderfully compassionate and treated her gently and with the utmost respect. We took great care of her knowing that someone loved her and would want that." Trina wrapped an arm around her.

"Thank you, at least she wasn't left somewhere to rot." Mrs. El said.

"Dr. Ziggler is going to speak with your husband about arrangements to have Layla sent to the funeral home of your choice. I want you to know you have our deepest sympathies. I am so sorry this has happened to your family." Trina said.

"Do you have children Officer Conley?" Mrs. El asked.

"No mam, until recently I kept kissing frogs instead of princes." She said honestly.

"You have a child, that child becomes your whole world. Oh god, what do I do now?" Mrs. El cried.

"There are no magic words at a time like this. What is your faith? Would you like to speak to our chaplain?" she offered.

"No, I am not sure what I want. I am sorry for falling apart like this."

"No apologies are needed. There is no shame in grief." Trina assured her.

1300 Hours

Trina and Steve arrived back at the station after finishing up with the El family. They were glad that Detective Johnson had come with the family as neither parent was calm enough to drive. It also gave them a chance to let Detective Johnson know what they had in the case already.

"How did it go?" Jerry asked them as they walked in.

"As expected, the family is in shock and grieving. Detective Johnson came with them." Trina said.

"Also, Dolph said he still hasn't been able to get anything of use from the garbage at the motel." Steve said.

"And we haven't found any lead on her car but the APB went out." Jerry said.

"I am starting to feel like I am in a never ending nightmare." Trina sighed.

"We'll get there. Go grab some lunch." Jerry said.

Trina nodded and walked with Steve to the small break room in the back. Trina grabbed her salad out of the fridge and sat down but didn't feel very hungry.

"You were really great with Mrs. El today. She was hysterical and I worried she would make herself sick. It was great that you stepped up and took care of her." Steve said sitting down beside her.

"It was the least I could do. I just feel so bad for her. To lose your child that way." She sighed.

"I can't even imagine. If it were one of my boys…..I don't know if I could survive it." Steve admitted.

"I just hope we can catch this guy. It is driving me crazy." Trina said.

"Sometimes it takes time….look at the Green River Case." Steve said.

"Yeah and while it took forever to solve it, Ridgeway killed 49 women." She sighed.

"But now we have better technology, we'll solve this." Steve told her. "I need to get back to Parsons. Are you gonna be okay?"

"Yeah I am fine. Just been an emotional morning." Trina said.

"I'll call you later." Steve kissed her quickly. She nodded and watched him walk out.

2000 Hours

"Monica, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be off with Richard?" Seth looked over where Trina had been reading at her desk for a few hours.

"Go make out with Rachel so she can try controlling the rest of your life, I am busy." Trina said and didn't look up.

"What on earth are you reading?" Seth asked.

"Some stuff Steve brought back from the seminar in Baltimore." She said and still didn't look up.

"And you would rather sit here reading than go home and get freaky with your man who apparently knows how to work it?" Seth laughed.

"Honey when we solve this case I might let him bend me over your desk." She said, still reading.

"Why my desk?" Seth laughed.

"Don't want to get mine messy." She deadpanned.

"So what has your attention over there? I figured you would be running home to Steve, throwing off clothes as you go." Seth laughed again.

"At his age, I doubt he is gonna be horny all the time." Trina said.

Seth nearly choked on the soda he was drinking. "Are you insane? Number one: he is a guy, the only time we ain't horny is when we're dead. Number two: you are a younger woman and adorable, so yeah he's gonna want to tap that every chance he gets. Number three: he's a guy. Four: he seems crazy about you and everyone knows sex is better when you have feelings for the person. Five: did I mention he is a guy?"

"Only you could make a man in his 50s sound like a teenager." She looked up. "But I hope you're right." She winked.

"I am trust me. If I had a cute girlfriend that hadn't had good sex in forever, I'd bend her like a pretzel." Seth smirked.

"Go find Taylor Swift." Trina rolled her eyes. Her cell phone rang and she saw it was Steve calling. "Hey Steve." She answered.

"What are you up to? I figured you'd be home by now." Steve said.

"Just reading over some of the stuff you brought back from the seminar. Everything okay?"

"I miss my girl." Steve flirted.

"Well give her a little bit and she will stop by your house." She smiled while Seth chuckled from his desk.

"Don't work too hard. I worry about you obsessing over this case." Steve said seriously.

"I'll be there in a bit." She said.

"See ya then." He hung up.

"What are you reading that you're still here after your man called?" Seth asked.

"There was a session on unsolved murders. This case out of Texas caught my attention." Trina said. "I'm gonna look at some of this stuff online, see what I can find to go with it."

"What's the case?" Seth asked.

"This investigator….he thought he had a serial killer case but couldn't prove it because the MO seemed so different." Trina typed quickly on her laptop. "A few dead girls found along highways…but they couldn't find any connections and one girl was a prostitute."

"Prostitutes are easy targets." Seth said sadly.

1130 Hours

Trina knocked on the door to Steve's house. She had been by it but never actually inside it before. They usually ended up spending time at Trina's house. After a few minutes Steve answered the door, looking like he had just woken up.

"Trina, do you know what time it is? I fell asleep waiting on you. Is everything okay?" he ushered her in the house, seeing she had an arm full of papers.

"Yeah I just got caught up with a few things at work." She paused and looked around the living room. The house was well-kept but felt empty.

"I'm not much of a decorator but it is comfortable." Steve followed her eyes.

"It's fine, after all you just moved here." She assured him.

"So what is all this?" Steve asked as he motioned for her to sit down.

"Did you attend any of the sessions on cold cases?" She asked.

"I attended one but I had another session when the second one was happening. Why?" Steve sat beside her.

"I been looking into the information you brought back about the session with the guy from Texas." She started.

"Yeah, I didn't attend that one, the one I attended the speaker was from Miami." Steve yawned. "Where are you going with all this?"

"This case he discussed caught my attention and gave me an idea." She said and handed him the booklet from the seminar. "This guy talks about a case that he was convinced was a serial killer but couldn't prove it. There were girls murdered and found dead along the highways."

"Trina…please tell me…."

"The first girl was a prostitute, she was found dead on a highway outside of Houston. She had been strangled and showed signs of recent sexual activity…no big surprise considering her way of living. Autopsy revealed she had gonorrhea, also not a surprise considering her lifestyle." She kept talking and Steve sighed realizing he just had to let her get this out. "Six months later there was a dead college student found along the same highway. There was evidence she had been raped before death but the killer wore a condom."

"Baby, what does this have to do with anything?" Steve asked her.

"Two months later, same highway…a headless female body was found. She was never identified." Trina said with conviction.

"Baby….it doesn't outright mean it is connected to our case." Steve said.

"The speaker said he always felt the first two murders were connected but couldn't prove it. He felt it was the work of a killer just starting out and finding a routine. So I did some online digging further into these murders. To me the speaker had a right to connect the cases. All three were strangled and all three were found without any ID or wallet….similar to our case. That made me dig a little more. There was a suspect in the murder of the third victim but was never publically named for lack of evidence." She said.

"Trina…..mutilated victims are found around the US all the time. It's sad but true. It doesn't mean it's related to our case." Steve said. "You're reaching because you want to solve this so bad."

"I have a theory…the speaker said he felt the first two murders were a killer starting out. I think he is right and that the third victim was when the killer had fully developed his MO, found a routine that got him the sexual charge he wanted. There may have even been victims between two and three that just never were found. And the suspect realized the Texas authorities were onto him and left the area. Now he is here. In Texas that highway was his comfort zone…here, Blackwater Falls Park and nearby areas is his comfort zone." Trina said.

Steve looked at her. "I think it is a long shot. And I don't want you to get your hopes up too high….but I will help you contact the Texas authorities and see if we can find out anything that helps."

"Thank you!" she hugged him.

"Just don't be disappointed if this turns out to be nothing. I really think you're reaching here…but what the hell, we got no other leads to try." Steve said. "Honey, it's late you want to just stay here tonight?"

She smiled. "I would love to. Got something I can sleep in?"

"Sure, I'll find one of my old shirts. You wanna shower?" he kissed her cheek.

"Yeah, it won't take me long." She quickly kissed him and stood up, then looked back at him.

"Down the hall on the right." He told her.

She hurried down the hall to the restroom and was relieved to find it neat and clean. Over the years she had realized that some single men had messy and even gross bathrooms. She quickly stripped out of her uniform and stepped into the shower, enjoying the warm water after a long day.

When she stepped out of the shower, she saw that Steve had left a towel and an old t-shirt for her to sleep in. She hadn't heard him come in the bathroom, but shrugged it off and dried herself before getting dressed. She had to admit she liked wearing his old shirt.

She walked out of the bathroom and saw Steve's bedroom door open at the end of the hall. She smiled and walked into the bedroom, finding Steve already in bed but waiting for her. She climbed in bed beside him and he turned off the lamp beside the bed. She curled up against him and he kissed her forehead.

"Thanks for letting me stay." She said.

"No thanks needed. I am glad you're here." He lifted her chin and kissed her.

"Me too." She smiled and snuggled against his chest.

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _This chapter ran away with me too I dunno if it is because I am enjoying writing so much or if I am just all excited about Sting being back in the WWE. LOL Major clue was in this chapter but if you missed it, don't worry, more is coming. Love all my reviewers and thanks so much for all of them. Batistasprincess (Isn't that how we feel about guy BFF's sometime? LOL), jcott3 (No I wanted that part to show the progression of their relationship without the case.), carlyrosanna1983, Debwood-1999 (I am sure you will catch it as you pay close attention and look for clues.)_


	21. Hard Work Pays Off

_**Author's Note-**_ _Parts of this chapter are rated Mature. Still might change the rating of the story but until then read at your own discretion._

July 18th

0600 Hours

Steve woke up, seeing daylight starting to peek through the curtains in his bedroom. Looking down he noticed that Trina had rolled over in her sleep to the point she was nearly on top of him. He noticed she looked beautiful in her sleep. Her face relaxed and the stress of their current case not showing. He brushed some of the hair off her forehead.

Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him. "I love waking up like this."

"Me too. I think I am getting spoiled to it. Two days in a row I have got to wake up with you." He pulled her up to kiss her.

She shifted her leg and felt his morning erection. She thought of what Seth said and began to giggle.

"What is funny?" he was confused.

"Just thinking of something Seth said." She chuckled. "It was nothing serious."

"Should I be jealous you are thinking of Seth while I am holding you?" Steve smirked.

"No, he is actually great birth control." She giggled. "You worry your kid will turn out like him and it reminds you to take your pill."

Steve leaned over and kissed her. As the two kissed, Steve let his hands wonder around Trina's body. Slowly he traced his fingernails lightly up Trina's arms sending more goose bumps all over her. Finally he got to Trina's breasts, the nipples poking through the material of the shirt she had slept in. Steve used his fingers and ran little circles around the hardened nipples. Trina arched her back, pressing herself into Steve.

Steve started kissing and sucking Trina's breasts through the shirt as he started to massage his hands lower and lower. First he teased her stomach and belly button. Then he worked lower to just above Trina's center.

He ignored that region for the moment as he massaged around her inner thigh, and then down her legs while moving his tongue back and forth over the cloth covered nipple. As he worked his way back up, Steve let his hand quickly bump over Trina's now soaked panties. Steve smiled that he had that much effect on her.

After he worked his way back up, he started to slowly remove the shirt covering Trina's now very erect nipples, pushing it higher and higher. Now free from the material, they sprung up hard. He was all too happy to wrap his lips around them and suck them deep into his mouth. He let his teeth very gently graze them as his tongue flicked across them. Trina's moans let Steve know he was doing it exactly right.

After spending a while on the right breast he repeated the treatment to the left breast while softly massaging and kneading the right breast. Trina was now close to her first orgasm of the encounter. A few minutes more and that is exactly what happened as she arched her back and felt a small tremor hit her.

"Just getting warmed up baby." Steve chuckled.

"How did you…..I mean I never…from just…." She was wide-eyed.

He looked down at her, and gently stroked her cheek. "That is a pretty sensitive area, for you especially it seems."

"Wow…I never would've thought that I could get off from just that."

Steve knew it was because no one had taken the time to find her hot spots and really make sure she enjoyed intimacy, but he refrained from saying so for fear of sounding arrogant.

He pulled her mouth to his and kissed her deep, letting his tongue enter Trina's mouth and push as deep as he could. Steve let his fingers massage the outside of the soaked panties as he kissed back down Trina's neck and then quickly kissed and licked her breasts and nipples once again. Steve then traced a path of kisses and licks from the middle of Trina's breasts, down her stomach, then sliding down, he kissed the outside of Trina's soaked panties. He wasn't done teasing just yet though as he moved over to the inside of Trina's right thigh and kissed and licked all over. Slowly he licked a path down her right leg. Lifting her left foot, he started a reverse path, from her ankle, calf, and then started moving back up her left thigh.

After kissing and licking all around her left thigh, he turned his attention back to Trina's soaking panties. He gently teased along her center through her panties.

"Fuck….Steve."

"Like that baby?" he chuckled.

Slowly he let his finger trace circles around and around the edge. Each time Trina lifted her hips and followed Steve's movements. He enjoyed watching her respond to him. After several more small orgasms, Steve finally decided to let Trina have full release. As he slid her panties to one side, he slid two fingers in. He then moved up and latched onto Trina's now swollen clit. Using his tongue, he flicked it rapidly over it while sucking it into his mouth. He then used his fingers to push in and out, twisting his hand back and forth while sucking her clit.

"Steve…..fuck Steve…oh my god." Trina gripped the sheets.

Trina bucked as much as she could and then fell over the brink and had several major orgasms; screaming so loud Steve knew the neighbors heard. After several minutes of non-stop orgasms, Trina slowly lowered her hips; she was spent and breathing hard. Steve removed his fingers. He then moved up and held Trina in his arms, giving her soft loving kisses until Trina could recover.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I swear….you're so good at that." she breathed.

"Glad I could make you feel good." he chuckled.

"Feel good? That's like saying Noah called the weather bureau and got a forecast of light rain and drizzle." She looked at him.

He laughed, enjoying the crazy things she said once again. She reached down and shimmied out of her panties, then reached over and began pushing down his boxers.

"What are you doing?" he smiled.

She leaned over and kissed him. "I wanna feel you inside me." She whispered.

Steve moaned at the images that brought to his mind.

"Now lay back." Steve said as he pushed her backwards.

Trina did as she was told and she spread her legs out wide as she watched Steve. He slipped his knees back and putting his weight on his left hand slipped inside her. Trina let out a moan as she felt herself being filled and she felt Steve's body lying on top of her.

Steve kissed her holding still for a moment but Trina didn't need much time to adjust. Trina then brought up her legs and wrapped them around Steve's waist and that got Steve's hips to moving. Steve used short strokes at first.

"Faster…Steve." Trina breathed.

"Mmmmmm" Steve mumbled as he began to bring his hips up more and he pushed down harder. "This better?" Steve asked.

"Ohhh... Yes. "Trina groaned out.

He then slammed down hard into Trina. Trina gripped Steve's shoulders as she began to push back against Steve's thrusts and she urged Steve on. She saw that Steve was starting to pant and sweat as he worked hard.

"Fuck that feels good baby." Trina urged him on and she felt him move faster and harder inside her. Trina gripped Steve to her as his strong hips and thigh muscles worked hard and fast in her and filling her to the max.

Soon Trina felt her body tightening and then soon afterwards she felt her orgasm overcome her and she came hard.

"Trina…..baby." Steve came deep inside her.

When she recovered, she felt Steve kissing her and she looked up to see Steve sweat soaked face looking back at her. Trina reached up wiping the sweat off of Steve's brow then she gave him a kiss.

"You okay? Did I hurt you?" he asked.

"Of course not. I loved it." She smiled.

"Damn what a way to start the day." He collapsed on her.

"A great way to start the day." She kissed him.

0900 Hours

Trina and Steve walked into the Davis police station carrying fresh coffee and doughnuts for everyone. They had stopped and picked some up on their way into the station.

"Good morning everyone. We brought breakfast for everyone." Trina smiled.

"Hey Steve, what brings you here?" Layfield asked.

"If you had a cute younger woman, would you wanna be away from her?" Seth snickered, making John roll his eyes.

"Trina thinks looking at a case out of Texas might be worthwhile so I agreed to help her." Steve said as they sat down at Trina's desk.

"Come help yourselves to breakfast." She smiled.

"Appreciate the breakfast, been a busy morning." John said as he grabbed one of the coffees off the tray and a few doughnuts.

"What's going on?" Trina asked.

"Somebody broke into the high school and stole a bunch of computers." John said. "Jerry is still out there."

"Oh terrific, stealing from a school. That is insane." Trina shook her head.

Seth and John took their doughnuts and coffee into the break room and sat down to relax. Steve and Trina stayed at her desk to enjoy their breakfast.

"Damn, look at her face. Guess Steve worked his magic again." Seth chuckled.

"What?" John looked at him.

"Nothing important." Seth shrugged. "But damn!"

Trina sipped her coffee while her she started her computer. "We need to stop at that little coffee shop more often. This is pretty good." She smiled.

"I am used to having a Starbucks on every corner but this is good." Steve said.

"You want to have lunch together today?" she asked.

"Like I am gonna turn down a date with a gorgeous lady." Steve smiled and reached over to rub a bit of sugar from the corner of Trina's mouth.

"You are so sweet." She smiled at him and rubbed her fingers over his hand.

"It's like watching one of those chick flicks." John said, looking towards Steve and Trina.

"They are in love, even if they haven't admitted it yet." Seth said.

"You think so?" John looked at Seth.

"Are you kidding? Look at them. Look how they look at each other and those little soft touches." Seth said.

"You gotta quit watching the women's network while you are on night shift." John said.

"You know I am right." Seth laughed. "I better get going. Jerry wants me to pick up the trash from the motel. I wish that guy would throw away a tissue or something."

"No kidding. He gotta be hiding something that he is going to this much trouble to not throw away anything with DNA on it." John said.

Seth waved to Steve and Trina as he walked out of the station. They had finished up their breakfast and decided to call the branch of the Houston that was handling the murders of the girls found along the highway. They put the phone on speaker so they could both talk with the Texas authorities.

"Houston PD, Homicide Division"

"Yes, good morning. I need to speak with the detective handling the case of the unidentified woman found along the highway about 18 months ago. I am a detective in West Virginia and we may have some information. We don't have a case number to give you." Steve said.

"Hold on, I will see what I can do." The voice said.

They were put on hold for a few minutes. Finally another voice came on the line. "This is Detective Barry Windham, how can I help you?"

"Yes, I'm Detective Steve Borden, Tucker County West Virginia. I'm here with Officer Trina Conley, Davis Police Department, West Virginia. We were hoping to talk to you about a case we found when reading through information I received at a recent seminar in Baltimore." Steve explained.

"Oh yes, you must mean the case about the dead girls along the highway. My former partner was to speak at that seminar. I helped him gather the information." Windham said. "What can I do for you?"

"We were wondering what you could tell us about the case, without jeopardizing it of course. We have a similar case currently active and thought there may be a connection." Trina explained.

"Well, I was assigned to work the case of the Jane Doe that was found along the highway. We have never identified her nor have we located her head. My partner, Dusty Rhodes, since retired….he had worked the case of a prostitute that had been found dead in the same area a few years back. He began to think that the cases were connected, hence what he presented at the seminar." Windham explained.

"What can you tell us about the victim?" Steve asked as Trina wrote notes on her notepad.

"Like I said, she has yet to be identified but we believe she was a hitchhiker." Windham said. That caught Steve's attention as Trina nearly paled. "A girl had been seen hitchhiking along that highway a few days before the body was found. Truckers came forward reporting having seen her after the body was found. We couldn't prove it was the same girl but based on the clothing we thought it was. Clothing description matched."

"What about the suspect? Rhodes mentioned there was a suspect that later moved out of the area." Trina said.

"Yes, he had been seen stopped along the road talking to her, but we never could link him directly to her. No witnesses that she got in the truck with him. We searched his truck but couldn't find any evidence. His girlfriend came forward but even what she told us didn't pan out. Despite our best investigative efforts including our dogs…didn't find enough to hold him. He left town not long afterwards." Windham explained. "What is the case you are working on?"

"Since the beginning of June, we have found four decapitated women in Tucker County, West Virginia. Three of them were hitchhiking or needed a ride when they were abducted. Only two have been identified and we don't have a strong suspect." Steve said.

"I'm not sure I can help, it may be a coincidence." Windham said.

"It may be, but it may not be. Rhodes said he believed the three cases in your jurisdiction were the work of a serial killer developing. And in West Virginia we are definitely dealing with a serial killer that has hit his stride. DNA links victims two and four to the same guy but he is not in the system." Trina said.

"What can you tell us about the suspect you had?" Steve asked.

"I can fax you the information on him. It was a guy named Mark Calaway. I always believed he did it, just couldn't prove it. He just acted a bit too strange when we questioned him and insisted on a warrant before letting us look in his anywhere." Windham said.

"Thank you, we'll look at it and be in touch. It may be nothing, but we have nothing else to go on." Steve said and gave him the fax information.

As they hung up with Windham, Jerry walked back in looking frazzled. John walked out of the break room.

"How did it go at the school?" John asked.

"My guess is it was kids. Got the security tapes to look at." Jerry said. "How is everything going here?"

"We just spoke with a Detective out of Houston, Texas. They had a case similar to our ongoing homicide. He is going to fax us some information on the case." Trina said.

"How did you make that connection?" John asked.

"Reading through some of the material Steve brought back from the seminar." She said.

"It is a good idea. Stay with it. But good heavens if this is the same guy and we catch him we will never hear the end of it from Bischoff. He will brag forever about his idea to send Steve to that seminar." Jerry shook his head.

"I think it is a trucker. The girls were hitchhiking except for Layla." John said. "Very easy for truckers to pick up hitchhikers."

"Well we gotta figure something out before we find another dead girl." Jerry said. "I'll be in my office."

1300 Hours

Steve and Trina sat in the diner down the street from station enjoying lunch. Seth had reported that once again Dolph could find nothing of use in the garbage. The couple had decided to put the case on hold for an hour and enjoy lunch together.

"When my boys come to visit, I want you to meet them." Steve said as he ate his burger.

Trina looked up from her chicken sandwich. "Are you sure that is a good idea?"

"Why wouldn't it be? You're the woman in my life, the person I am spending time with. Shouldn't you get to know them?" Steve looked at her confused.

"How are they going to respond? Even grown children can have anger and resentment towards any new girlfriend/boyfriend a divorced parent has. How are they going to react seeing you with someone who is not their mom?" Trina explained her concerns.

"I think if we don't try we will never know." Steve said as he noticed Joe walk into the diner. He inwardly groaned and watched Trina for a reaction.

She glanced at Joe then back at Steve. "And we also have to consider the fact they might be made even unhappier that I am so much younger than you. They might feel like you wanted to trade mom in on a younger model type thing."

Steve chuckled at her crazy way of saying things. "I talked with the boys a lot after the divorce. They know that I will always hold a spot in my heart for their mom, she was my wife and gave me my children. But I also explained to them and they understood the marriage wasn't working anymore and that in order for their parents to be happy…..we had to divorce and move on. They understood."

"They understood while you were single. You present them with a girlfriend that isn't much older than they are and they might sing a different tune." Trina said.

"If it makes you feel better, I will talk to them before they come out. They already know I am seeing someone but I haven't gone into much detail. But I will explain to them that you are younger, but also that I am very happy with you. I will tell them about you and discuss their feelings about it. That way we aren't blindsided by anything when they get here." Steve said.

"That sounds like a great idea." Trina said as Joe picked up a take-out order and left the diner. "And if they don't feel comfortable with me right away, that is okay. I understand."

"Are you okay? I saw Joe in here." Steve asked her.

"I am fine. I felt nothing when I saw him." She assured him. "When I saw him….it was an ex-boyfriend and I have learned from my mistakes and finally forgiven myself for them."

"I am so glad to hear you say that." Steve reached for her hand. He gently ran his thumb over her knuckles.

"I won't waste any more time or energy on a mistake. Especially when I have such a wonderful man in my life." She squeezed his hand.

"I happen to think I have a pretty special lady in my life too." He kissed her hand.

"I realize now that I was trying too hard to make things work with Joe. A good relationship, one that is meant to be doesn't take that much work. And yes I know every relationship takes some work, but it has to be both people working. It fails if it is just one person trying." She smiled.

"Does it feel like work with me?" he asked, wanting to get her honest response.

"No it feels very natural despite our age difference." She assured him. "I'm very happy with you."

1400 Hours

As Trina and Steve walked back into the station after lunch, they could hear the fax machine beeping to signal that a fax was coming in. They hurried over to the machine to look at the information as it came in.

"It's from Detective Windham." Steve said.

Trina picked up the second page. "Son of a bitch!" she yelled.

Steve was startled and even Jerry looked up from inside his office. "What is the matter?" Steve asked.

"Look at this picture of Mark Calaway…..it's Mark Callous!" she showed him the page. "I knew that bastard was hiding something."

"Calm down a minute. Let's read the rest of the information. But you're right, that is Callous. No denying it." Steve said.

"Says here that in addition to a few drivers reporting a truck matching Calaway's talking to a girl that was hitchhiking…..he had a girlfriend that went to the police reporting that Mark had bloody clothing….she questioned him but he said he hurt himself at work…the clothing disappeared." Trina read the reports.

"This says the same girlfriend reported a strange smell coming from his garage." Steve read as Jerry came out of his office to see what all the fuss was about.

"Houston police interviewed Calaway….his alibi didn't quite check out. They brought in cadaver dogs that hit in his garage but they could find no body or fluids. Calaway claimed it was a false positive that the dog hit there." Trina said.

"The police couldn't find enough to bring charges and Calaway left town soon afterwards." Steve read.

"This has to be the same guy. He changed locations and is still killing." Trina looked up at Steve. "Fuck! It all makes sense!"

"Let me see that." Jerry said calmly, figuring Trina had enough anger flying for them all.

Steve handed Jerry the fax papers and looked over to Trina who had a host of emotions on her face.

"Are you okay?" Steve asked her carefully.

"It just all adds up. He fits the profile…older white male, he is white, killing within his race. The murders here started around the same time the construction crew came to town to start work at the park. His refusal to give a DNA sample…he knew we would match it because he ejaculated without a condom in his victims. The connection to the park…..he works there, he feels comfortable there. We know that he frequents the diner that the fourth victim disappeared from and he frequents the gas station where Cheat Doe disappeared from. It adds up so perfect. And I bet if we dig a little deeper we will find he has some strange sexual proclivities." She was nearly pacing.

"Trinvilla!" Jerry looked over at her. The use of her full name got her attention, she stopped and looked up at him. "I need you to calm down and focus. We have to do this right."

"You're right, what do you need us to do?" she nodded.

"This is enough to get us a warrant, I am going to call a judge and get us a search warrant for his motel room and vehicle." Jerry said.

"If we aren't careful, Calaway, Callous, whatever the hell his name is will run again." Trina said.

Steve smiled a little realizing she was smart even when ready to beat the fire out of someone. "You're right, we need to watch him very closely."

"Getting the warrants may take a bit. I am gonna send John out to the motel to search the room as soon as the warrant comes through, I don't want to give this guy a chance to hide one bit of evidence. Trina, go out to the park and keep an eye on Calaway….make sure he doesn't leave town, arrest him for littering if you have to. But don't let him know you are onto him unless you have to. Steve, go to the park and talk to the head of that construction crew. Find out all you can about this guy. Look at his resume, references, everything." Jerry ordered them. "Keep the phones on, I will call about the warrants as soon as they come through."

"You got it. Let's go nail his balls to a two by four!" Trina said.

Steve laughed despite the seriousness of the moment. He loved the crazy things she said and always wondered where she came up with half the things that flew out of her mouth. "We're going. Jerry we'll be waiting for your call."

1700 Hours

Trina sat in an unmarked car in a parking lot at the park, watching the road crew as they worked in the hot sun. So far Calaway had not even glanced in her direction as she kept a close eye on him. Steve had gone to the construction trailer at the other end of the park to talk with the construction company office staff.

Trina's cell phone rang. She saw it was Steve calling. "Conley."

"Trina, I spoke with the office staff. I got a copy of Calaway's personnel file. Callous must be an alias he set up. But he was hired by this construction company a few months ago. He did list his previous employment in Texas. The company checked his references and they say that they checked out. I tried calling the numbers listed on his resume and none of the numbers work now." Steve told her.

"How did they check out references with numbers that don't work?" she sighed, still watching Calaway work.

"I'm going to make a few calls and have these numbers traced. I want to have a clear trail of evidence of everything. But I want you to stay calm….this might take longer than you have the patience for." Steve said gently.

"I can have the patience of a celibate monk in the Playboy mansion if it means putting this bastard behind bars." She said.

Steve once again had to laugh at her crazy way of putting things. "I might need you to help me with tracking these numbers."

"You got it. Find out anything else?" she asked.

"I discreetly met with the foreman, guy named Huffman. He told me that nobody on the crew really knows much about Callous. According to Huffman, Callous claims to have come from somewhere out west but never talks about his past. He doesn't share much when he is with the other men at work and that after work he stays to himself." Steve said.

"He is being careful to not give anyone any kind of information on him. Damn he is smart…..another perfect match to the profile." She sighed.

"Hang in there, we are closer than we have ever been." Steve assured her.

"I know. Talk to you soon. Call me if you find anything else out." Trina said and hung up.

1900 Hours

Steve and Trina were back at the Davis station along with Seth and Jerry continuing to work on the case while John stayed out at the motel keeping an eye on Mark and waiting to see if they could manage the search warrant. Jerry had called them just before they left the park telling them that the judge wanted more evidence before he issued a warrant, feeling that accusations in the past were just not enough. They were all frustrated to say the least. Seth and Trina were trying to track down the numbers Calaway had used on his resume. Steve was on the phone with Windham, telling him that Mark was in the area and seeing if he could tell them anything else that might help. And Jerry was calling in every favor he could to try to get the warrant faster.

"Trina look at this. All of these numbers were registered to prepaid cell phones that have since went dead." Seth showed her what he had found online.

"Interesting because two of these companies listed as references are real companies but the phone numbers he listed do not match." Trina said. "He must've had help. Someone was willing to give false references and help him get this job."

"Guess we gotta figure out who. Might not be a bad idea to call those companies on their real numbers and see if they ever heard of this guy." Seth said.

"Good idea." She agreed.

"I just got off the phone with Windham. He said the DNA from the dead hooker didn't match anyone in the system. I am gonna call Dolph and have him look into comparing that sample with the samples from Cheat Doe and Canaan Doe." Steve said.

"I wonder if her case got a proper investigation. So many times hookers being murdered isn't taken very seriously. They are considered the 'less dead'." Trina sighed.

"Well if we can link Mark to it she will get justice." Steve assured her. "I am gonna call Dolph and then I am going to get us some dinner."

She nodded as they got back to work.

1930 Hours

"Dinner rules, no talk of the case. This is us catching a few minutes together." Steve smiled as he unpacked the take-out food on Trina's desk.

"Sounds good to me." She smiled. He could see she was tired but knew she would work until she fell over and at this point, so would he so he kept quiet.

"You know, this is the first time ever I haven't spent time at the beach during the summer?" Steve said as he opened his box of take-out.

"Do you miss it?" she asked.

"Not as much as I thought I would. Or maybe I have been too busy to notice." He shrugged.

"I think if I lived near the beach I would never get anything done. I would always be at the beach." Trina said.

"I dunno, the change has been nice. There is a lot to do around here and the mountains are beautiful." Steve said.

"I am so glad you moved here." She said truthfully.

"Me too. I think it was meant to be." He looked her in the eyes.

Seth was eating dinner in the break room with Jerry. He rolled his eyes as he watched Steve and Trina.

"Have you ever seen two people more disgustingly in love and not admit it to each other?" he chuckled.

"Will you quit watching them? They aren't a movie you know." Jerry chuckled. "But Trina seems happy so I am happy. And Steve is a good guy so I don't have to help John hide a body like I nearly had to do with Joe."

"And you guys didn't offer to let me in on it?" Seth laughed. "That is not fair."

"I have such an interesting team." Jerry sighed.

"We're the best in the state." Seth winked.

"They do balance each other out. Trina is growing and maturing with his help and he is learning to try different avenues and think outside the box." Jerry said.

2000 Hours

"At this time of night these companies are not going to be open." Steve said.

"Where is the paperwork Windham sent us?" Trina began digging on her desk. "Here it is." Steve and Seth watched as Trina read through the paperwork again. "And here it is, I knew it! Look here, his place on employment listed on the police paperwork matches the name of one of the companies listed on his resume but the phone numbers are different."

"Mark gave a different number so no one would pick up on his name change." Steve said.

"I am gonna try for the search warrant again. I am gonna see if Damien Sandow can help. I am sure he wants to be right in the middle of this now that we have a strong suspect." Jerry said.

"Call Damien at home, the man works all hours even from home." Trina said.

Jerry went to make some phone calls, trying to get the warrant again and hoping that with evidence this guy changed his identity, at such great lengths on top of previous accusations would at least get them a warrant. Trina turned back and once again read through the paperwork from Windham.

"What are you thinking? You got that look again." Steve asked her.

"I'd like to talk to Mark's former girlfriend…says here he is divorced, maybe even talk to his ex-wife….file says her name is Sara. I wanna know what strange kinks he showed with them and if he ever did anything that made them uncomfortable." She says.

"Might be a good idea to talk to them." Steve agreed.

She continued looking through the information, seeing if she could find anything new. She heard the phone ring and Seth answered it. As he talked Jerry finally stepped out of his office.

"We finally got a warrant. Between Sandow and I both pulling every string we could, we convinced the judge to sign off on a warrant for his motel room and vehicle." Jerry said.

"Great, John is already there." Trina jumped up.

"Hold it." Seth hung up the phone. "That was Mr. Anderson on the phone. One of his hunting dogs got loose and while he was trying to find it, he found what appears to be Layla's car on a backroad off on an old logging trail. Tags match. He said it's been burned out pretty bad."

"Well hell….." Jerry shook his head. "Steve, can you go to the courthouse and get the warrants, so we have them in hand even though they are already approved?"

"On my way now. I will then go to the motel." Steve stood up and headed out.

"Seth, you go investigate the burned out car. See if there is any evidence we can recover." Jerry said. "Trina, get out to the motel with John and execute the warrants. They are approved so start whenever you want. Be sure Calaway doesn't run once he realizes we are investigating him."

"You got it." She said and hurried out of the station with Seth close behind her.

They climbed in separate department vehicles and headed in separate directions to the places Jerry had instructed them to go. Trina sped to the motel, anxious to get in that motel room and see what Calaway was hiding. She just knew he was the killer and couldn't wait to prove it.

She pulled into the motel parking lot and saw John sitting in an unmarked car. She hurried over to the car and tapped on the window.

"Steve went to pick up the warrants. Jerry had to call in every favor he could and even got DA Sandow to help but we finally got them." She informed John.

"Calaway went out a bit ago. He hasn't come back yet." John told her.

"I hope he didn't realize we were onto him and run." Trina sighed.

"I don't think so. He didn't appear nervous or upset." John calmed her.

Her cell phone rang. "Conley." She answered.

"I got the warrants in hand and I am on my way to the motel." Steve said. "I'll be there soon."

"Great, we're going in now." She motioned for John to follow as she hung up her phone.

She hurried into the motel office and saw Ricky Morton behind the desk. He looked up at her as she walked over to him.

"We need a key to the room Mark Callous is staying in. We have search warrants, our county detective is on the way with everything now." She quickly explained.

Ricky nodded in understanding. He quickly grabbed a master key and handed it to her. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Just relax and we'll let you know when we are finished. Thanks Ricky." She said as she hurried back out of the office.

Trina and John hurried up the stairs at the side of the motel and walked down the narrow porch to Room 28, Calaway's room. John realized they needed to follow procedure.

John knocked on the door. "Davis Police" he called out.

When they received no response, Trina used the key and opened the door. John turned on the light and they quickly checked to be sure no one was in the room, even though they knew Calaway had left earlier. The room was neatly kept. A single queen-sized bed, dresser, TV, night stand, and a bathroom off to the side.

"Let's get started." John said.

John started with the nightstand while Trina started looking in the bathroom. She noticed nothing out of the ordinary and the room was clean. She knew they would need Dolph to look through the room with luminol later on.

She stepped out of the bathroom and saw John still looking through the nightstand. "Find anything?"

"His Texas ID is in here with some other papers. Has his real name of Calaway listed on it. Also found this." John held up a book. 'Paper Trip 4'. "It's a guide to creating a new identity. Updated since 9/11 with all the security changes."

"Damn he is smart." Trina said as she knelt down to look under the bed.

She saw a black suitcase under there. She pulled it out to look at it better. It was hard-shelled and locked.

"Have you seen any keys around? This hard-shelled suitcase is locked." She said.

"No, I haven't. Maybe in the dresser." John said.

Trina stood up and walked to the dresser and opened the first drawer. She began carefully looking through the clothing, looking for the keys to the suitcase and anything else that might be evidence.

Suddenly the door opened and they both looked up to see Calaway standing there. He looked at them for a few seconds then turned on his heel and ran like hell away from the door.

"Shit! If he takes off we might not find him again for years!" John said, already on his way out the door chasing after Calaway.

Trina ran out of the room behind him. They could see Calaway already running down the stairs. She could hear John yelling for him to stop. They ran down the stairs after him. At the bottom of the stairs they could see Calaway had reached his truck and managed to get the door open but was now in a scuffle with Steve, who had apparently arrived with the warrants as chaos broke loose.

John and Trina moved to assist Steve when a gunshot rang out. Steve fell back on the asphalt. Trina and John both pulled their weapons.

 _To Be Continued…_

 _Song Inspiration for Beginning of Chapter- 'Not Enough Hours in the Night' by Doug Supernaw_

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _I hope everyone is still enjoying the story. I am having a blast working on it. Love my reviewers, you guys are such an inspiration. Batistasprincess (Seth is fun to write.), XoxoShonKV (Welcome to the story!), Paisley2 (Everybody needs a BFF like Seth in this story, LOL. You caught the clue.), Debwood-1999 (Well I hope this answers some of your questions.), jcott3 (Jerry Lawler is such a hoot on TV.) and carlyrosanna1983._


	22. Hospital Again

_Trina ran out of the room behind him. They could see Calaway already running down the stairs. She could hear John yelling for him to stop. They ran down the stairs after him. At the bottom of the stairs they could see Calaway had reached his truck and managed to get the door open but was now in a scuffle with Steve, who had apparently arrived with the warrants as chaos broke loose._

 _John and Trina moved to assist Steve when a gunshot rang out. Steve fell back on the asphalt. Trina and John both pulled their weapons._

"Hold it, Calaway!" John yelled.

"Don't move!" Trina yelled the same time.

Mark looked up and saw the two officers with weapons drawn on him. He stared at them both for a few tense seconds, contemplating his next move.

"You just shot an officer, don't think for one second I won't put a bullet in you." John glared at him.

Mark finally dropped the gun.

"Kick it away from you and keep your hands where we can see them." John yelled.

Mark kicked the gun several feet away from him. Neither officer lowered their weapons.

"I'm coming over to handcuff you, you make one wrong move and she will shoot you." John said. "Trina…..you with me?" John worried about her emotions after Steve being shot.

She forced herself to stay calm, knowing Steve would want her to do her job right. "Yeah, John. Go check him."

Trina kept her weapon leveled on Mark as John cautiously made his way over to him. John pulled his handcuffs off his belt and slowly inched to Mark, finally handcuffing him. Once in handcuffs, John pushed him against the side of his truck and began frisking him for weapons. Trina kept her weapon drawn in case Mark tried to fight or run.

"He's clean." John finally announced. "I'm going to lock him in the back of a squad car. Take care of Borden."

Trina holstered her weapon and ran to where Steve was lying on the pavement, falling on her knees next to him.

"Steve, oh my god, Steve." She could see blood coming out of a wound in his chest.

"Chest hurts….can't breathe well." Steve winced.

She grabbed his hand, despite the blood on it. "I am calling for help, you just hang on. Don't you dare die on me. You hear me!" she grabbed her radio on her shoulder. "This is Officer Trina Conley, I need an ambulance at the Falls Motel, officer down. Suspect in custody. 11-41. 217. 10-72."

"10-4 Conley, 10-45." Dispatcher came over the radio.

"Chest wound, pain and difficulty breathing." She responded to the code asking for condition of the patient.

"EMS has been dispatched."

"10-4." she said and let go of the radio. "Steve, just hold on. Help is coming."

"Hurts…." He tried to talk.

"Don't talk, just stay calm. Pain is good. Real good. When you are numb it's a bad sign. You just stay calm. You are going to be fine. I am ordering you to live." She stroked his forehead.

"Officers can't order detectives." John knelt down beside her.

"I wasn't ordering him as an officer, I was ordering him as his girlfriend." She said.

"Better listen to her Steve." John said as he gently checked the wound.

They could hear sirens in the background.

"Help is nearly here. You hang on. You hear me. Just stay calm, help is almost here." She felt him squeeze her hand.

She looked around and noticed people in the motel looking out windows and doors at them. The construction crew was standing along the balcony looking down at them. She realized the gunshot must've attracted attention, not to mention all the yelling. Finally the ambulance pulled into the parking lot.

John and the EMT's managed to pull Trina away from Steve as the medics began working on him. They stood close by. John noticed Trina was shaking but not crying. Irvine and Ryder were working hard on Steve.

"You take Calaway to the station. I am going to the hospital with Steve." She said suddenly.

John knew she would insist so he agreed. "I will and then I will be there as soon as possible."

The medics got Steve onto a gurney. They loaded him into the back of the ambulance and Trina hurried to climb in the front seat.

"I'm coming with him." She informed Irvine.

"I figured as much." Irvine nodded. "Ryder, call it in. We're moving."

2345 Hours

John sat in the ER waiting room watching Trina alternate between pacing the floor and staring out one of the windows. John was concerned that she hadn't cried. Jerry had told him to go be with Trina at the hospital that he would book Calaway. While they still didn't have enough for the murder charges, he was being held for shooting Steve. He had managed get her to clean the blood off her hands.

"Trina, why don't you try to relax? The doctors are with him." John said.

"If that was your wife back there would you relax?" she asked not even looking at him.

"You have a point but if Steve could see you upset like this he'd kick my ass and then lecture you." John tried again. "The doctors will talk to us as soon as they can." John said. "Come on, sit down."

"I can't sit." She sighed. "What is this? Some cosmic joke? Every time I fall in love something goes wrong."

"Steve isn't going to die." John tried again.

"What if I never get to hold him again?" Trina asked, staring out the window.

"What if he heals up fine and you two live happily ever after?" John asked.

The doors opened and two doctors walked over to them. She immediately recognized Dr. Kerry Von Erich, he worked the ER and she had known him for years. The other doctor she didn't recognize.

"Kerry, how is Detective Borden? What is happening?" she asked as John came to stand with her and listen to the doctors.

"Trina, this is Dr. Hennig. He is a surgeon. We have both been working on Detective Borden since he got here. We have also consulted with a respiratory specialist." Dr. Von Erich told her.

"Well how is he? What is going on?" she demanded, ready to scream if she didn't get answers.

"Tests and X-rays show that the bullet pierced his left lung and it has collapsed. We are prepping him for surgery to repair the damage and re-inflate the lung." Dr. Von Erich explained. "But don't panic too badly, he should make a complete recovery and we have successfully done this surgery several times before."

"Can I see him?" Trina asked.

"For just a few minutes. We need to get him into the OR as soon as possible." Dr. Hennig said.

They led her to the back to one of the ER exam rooms. She saw Steve lying on a gurney. His clothes had been changed, he was in a hospital gown and hooked up to various machines and an IV and oxygen mask. She hurried over to the gurney and grabbed his hand.

"Steve?" she squeezed his hand. "Can you hear me?"

He opened his eyes. "Trina…..I'm okay." His voice was raspy.

"I am…you scared….I'm….." she couldn't find the right words.

"I'll be okay. Surgery and I will be fine." Steve squeezed her hand.

"Before you go into surgery…I love you. I wanted you to know….in case….well, I love you." She kissed his forehead.

"I know you do. And I love you too. I think I have since the first time you dragged me on the dancefloor at Almost Heaven." Steve gave a small smile.

"We're taking him to the OR now. We need you to return to the waiting room." A few orderlies appeared.

Trina stepped back and allowed the orderlies to release the breaks on the gurney and begin to move him.

"You better survive this Steve Borden. Or when I find you in the afterlife I am gonna smack you." She called after him. Steve heard her and smiled at her strange way of putting things despite his injury.

Trina turned and walked back out to the waiting room. John was waiting for her. She finally took a seat next to him.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

"No…no, I'm not." She said and the tears finally came.

"Hey, you heard the doctor. He is going to be okay." John wrapped an arm around her.

"I just didn't know what to think….he was bleeding and in pain and…."

"Shhhhh, calm down. Steve needs you to be strong because he is going to need you…both to recover and finish this case. You're strong, we've all seen it!" John rubbed her shoulder.

Sheriff Flair walked in. He was dressed in street clothes. He walked over and sat down beside them, not sure what to think with Trina upset. He knew Steve and Trina were involved.

"Sheriff, what brings you here?" John asked.

"One of my detectives was shot. Lawler called me, pissed as hell. I wouldn't want to be Calaway right now. How is Steve?" Flair asked.

"In surgery. Bullet hit his lung and caused it to collapse. He will recover in time." John said.

"Trina…..is there anything I can do for you?" Flair asked the officer he had known for years.

"No…this all just shook me up." She gave a weak smile.

"You know Borden is really crazy about you. We can tell in the way he talks about you." Flair told her. "I know he is glad you are here."

"Thank you." She said.

"Jerry is on his way here as soon as he finishes up with Calaway. I sent a few of my guys over to keep an eye on things so your team could be here with you." Ric said.

"I appreciate that. You didn't have to."

"Glad to do it." Ric smiled.

They sat quietly for a bit. Each of them waiting for news from the doctors. Trina had to force herself to stay seated and not pace. Even though the doctors had told her Steve would be fine and they had done the surgery before, she was worried. Ric picked up a magazine and began to flip through it. John tried to watch whatever infomercial was on the TV selling a workout system.

The doors to the waiting room opened again and Seth walked in with Jerry. Trina nearly leaped out of her seat and ran to hug Seth. Despite their banter, they were best friends and she was glad he was there.

"You okay?" Seth hugged her tight.

"I don't know. Watching him get shot...and then him bleeding…..it was…."

"I know, I know." Seth rubbed her back.

"Thank you for coming. Both of you." She looked over at Jerry.

"We're family. Where else would we be?" Jerry gave a smile.

"Steve is still in surgery. Doctor said he will be okay in time." She said. "Let's sit down."

"What is the latest on the case?" John asked as they took seats.

"Calaway is currently charged with shooting Steve. Sandow is all over it. Calaway's room and truck at the motel have been taped off so we can search it later." Jerry explained.

"Damn, I feel torn between going and searching it now and staying here for Steve." Trina sighed.

Jerry chuckled. "This thing with Steve must be serious. You have never put a man before your job before. But you stay here. Now that Mark Calaway is in custody there is no hurry. And he certainly isn't going anywhere."

"Layla's car was completely burned out and there was no evidence to be found. I had it tarped and towed so Dolph could look through it more closely." Seth told her.

Finally the doctors walked out to speak with them. Trina was on her feet before the others could even blink.

Seth grabbed the remote and began flipping channels on the TV in the waiting room. He lit up when he came across re-runs of Friends. "Look Trinvilla, it's your show."

"Rollins, I swear if you call me by my….and make me watch…..damn I am glad you are here." She curled up against him.

"You need me, glad to be here." He kissed her forehead.

Layfield rolled his eyes and Jerry chuckled watching their unique interaction. They quickly realized there was a method to Seth's madness as Trina began fussing at the show and not worrying as much about Steve.

"Of all the episodes, it is the one where Rachel pulls this on a break crap." Trina said. "And there had to be a legitimate problem if Ross felt this insecure about one of her male friends. He isn't having issues about Joey and Chandler."

Seth chuckled. "You have put too much thought into this."

"Because I want to prove Ross right!" she insisted.

Flair chuckled watching them. "Are they always like this?"

"It is like having kids." Layfield said.

"Okay…okay, right there she clearly said 'take a break from us' that means she cannot call anything he does cheating. It would be justified if she was mad he slept with someone else so soon after a break up but she can't call it cheating." Trina pointed at the screen.

"What if Steve slept with someone else?" Seth asked.

"I wouldn't be stupid enough to say 'take a break' unless I truly meant it. Furthermore, you help my point that there had to be a problem with this guy friend of hers because Steve doesn't worry a bit about you." She insisted.

"Steve knows he could kick Rollins' ass if need be." Jerry said, making Trina actually laugh despite her worry.

"Hey….I…

"Resemble that remark." Trina giggled.

Trina settled back against Rollins as they continued watching the TV while waiting on news about Steve's surgery.

"HA! Proof it was a break up!" Trina yelled at the TV. "Rachel clearly just said to Ross 'Can I be your girlfriend again?' that clearly denotes that it was a short break up and that she even admits it was a break up!"

"Calm down, you didn't make this much noise this morning with Steve." Seth laughed.

"That's what you think." She smirked. "I can't believe I never saw this episode before, this is clear proof Rachel knew it was a break up which further proves the whole remaining run of the show she was just a bitch for calling Ross a cheater!"

"I hate to admit it, but you have a point." Seth laughed but then saw Dr. Von Erich walking through the doors.

"Dr. Von Erich, how is Steve? Is he okay?" Trina asked and was on her feet before they could blink.

"Steve is out of surgery and now in recovery. He is fine. The surgery was a success. He is breathing on his own and we are continuing to monitor him. We will be moving him upstairs in about an hour. You can see him then." Kerry told them.

"I want him put in a private room." Jerry stated.

"I'll make the arrangements. I'll let you know when you can see him." Dr. Von Erich said and went back through the doors.

"See, he came through it okay." Seth hugged her.

"I know if I had a gorgeous young girlfriend that would inspire me to survive damn near anything." Ric smiled.

July 19th, 0230 Hours

Seth and John had gone back to the station after Trina assured them that she was okay. They promised to be back in the morning to see Steve. Ric had gone home as well promising to check in on Steve the next day. Jerry and Trina went to the surgical recovery floor where Steve had been moved after leaving the recovery room. The doctor had told them that Steve would still be groggy but they could see him.

They walked into the room quietly. Steve was hooked up to a heart monitor and still had his IV and oxygen mask. Trina carefully sat down on the edge of the bed, careful to not bother any of the wires or tubes.

"Steve, honey you awake?" she asked softly.

Steve opened his eyes and turned towards her. "Hey baby, you're still here?"

"Where else would I be?" she smiled and took his hand. "I am so glad you are going to be okay."

"Takes more than that to kill me." Steve said.

"Good thing, Trina was ready to climb the walls to get up here and see for herself you were okay." Jerry chuckled and stood by the bed.

"Do you need me to call your boys?" Trina asked.

"No I will do that tomorrow. So tired." Steve said.

"You just get some rest. Anything you need will be taken care of." Trina told him.

"Baby, you're tired too. You look ready to drop. Go on home. Get some rest. Jack probably misses you." Steve told her.

"No, you need me here. I am not leaving you." She insisted.

"I am just going to be sleeping. Go get some rest. I'll rest better knowing you are comfortable at home." Steve countered.

"He's right Trina. You are exhausted and he is in great hands. I am ordering you to go home and sleep." Jerry said, knowing she wouldn't defy a direct order.

"You can see me in the morning. Go on, Jack and those cats miss you. Don't think I didn't notice you pick up that stray kitten at the gas station the other day." Steve smiled.

"Okay I am outnumbered." She chuckled. "I'll be back in the morning. If you need anything, call me. I don't care what time it is."

"Go get some sleep. I want to see you fully rested tomorrow when you take after Calaway with that whole woman's routine of 'nobody messes with my man'." Jerry chuckled.

Trina laughed out loud. She leaned down and moved Steve's oxygen mask long enough to give him a quick kiss. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight Trina. Love you."

"Love you too." She smiled.

0730 Hours

Trina woke up in her bed, curled up with a shirt of Steve's that he had left at her house. It had comforted her and helped her fall asleep. She noticed Jack looking at her over the edge of the bed. Her coydog knew that she was upset and was sticking very close to her.

"Baby boy, I was never more afraid than I was last night. All I could think was 'Lord you can't have him yet. I just found him." She reached over and patted Jack. "I love him. I really love him. Do you believe in soulmates? No, you don't I got you neutered." She laughed as she climbed out of bed.

The phone rang. She walked over and answered her landline. "Hello?"

"Trina? Oh my god are you okay?" Naomi practically yelled into the phone. "I just found out your boyfriend was shot last night."

"So screaming in the phone at her early in the morning was how she chose to show she cares." Trina heard Jimmy in the background.

"Shut up, if you were shot I'd scream too." Naomi said.

Trina laughed. "Hey Naomi, I am glad you called. Steve had surgery to repair his lung. He is going to be okay. But it scared the shit out of me."

"I bet it did. I heard through the grapevine you and that detective are quite serious. Even Jimmy says the guy is crazy about you." Naomi spoke of her boyfriend who was an officer in Parsons.

"We are. We need to have lunch. So much to talk about and with this case, I feel like I haven't had time for any friends outside of officers." Trina said.

"We do. Besides, I got good gossip that I have confirmed to share with you." Naomi chuckled.

"I will call you soon. I need to run. With Steve being shot and the case ongoing, it is going to be a busy day. Kiss Jimmy for me." She hung up.

She hurried and showered and dressed for the day. After taking care of Jack and the cats, she drove to Parsons to Steve's house. She wanted to pick up a few things for him so he would be more comfortable while in the hospital.

Trina used Steve's keys that she had picked up at the hospital and let herself in his house. She walked into the master bedroom and found a gym bag in the closet. She walked around gathering stuff to take to him in the hospital: pajama pants, t-shirts, deodorant, razors, and his own toothbrush. She knew that being in the hospital was miserable and wanted to help him get through it as easily as possible.

She stopped in the living room and grabbed a book he had been reading and put that in his bag as well. She locked up the house again and headed towards the hospital, planning to pick up breakfast on the way.

When Trina finally walked into Steve's hospital room, he was sitting up in bed but looked uncomfortable. He saw her and gave a small smile.

"How you feeling this morning?" she asked as she sat the bags down on an empty chair.

"I feel nauseated. Doctor said that is from the anesthesia. I am sore as hell but don't want them giving me too many pain killers." He said.

She sat down on the bed beside him. "Your color is a little better. Did you rest okay?"

"Slept most of the night. I hate being stuck in bed." He grumbled.

"Well for now you are gonna have to rest and let your body heal." She leaned forward and kissed his forehead.

"How was your night? You did get some sleep didn't you?" Steve looked at her and took her hand.

"I did some rest. Naomi Knight called me this morning. She says hi and hopes you feel better. She is engaged to Jimmy Uso." Trina explained.

"So she is the pretty lady that stops in to see him. He worships that woman." Steve said.

"They are a great couple and both very sweet people." She smiled. "You feel like a little breakfast?"

"I don't know, maybe just some juice for now." Steve said.

"I brought you some orange juice." She got up off the bed. "I also stopped by your place and brought you some of your things. I know what a pain hospital gowns can be, thought you might prefer your own sleep pants."

"I appreciate that. I hate trying to keep these things closed, and it never fails, always some lady nurse catches me trying to hold it together." Steve chuckled, then regretted it.

"Easy, you're gonna hurt a few days." She handed him a cup of orange juice.

"Don't you need to get to work?" Steve asked.

"You trying to get rid of me?" she chuckled.

"No, but you have worked too hard on this case to stop now. You need to go finish this." Steve looked at her.

She thought a moment and realized he was right. "You sure you'll be okay?" she double checked.

"I'll be fine. You can visit me again later and call anytime you want. But go out there and nail Calaway. Make sure he pays for killing those girls. That has driven you all along…..I won't get in the way of that." Steve looked at her.

"Okay, but if you need anything…anything….you call me or one of the guys." She sat down and gently hugged him, careful of his injury.

"I will. Now go finish this." He told her. "You can do it. And don't strangle Seth. He actually called to check on me this morning."

She nodded. "You listen to your nurses and behave. Or when you are better you are getting a spanking." She winked.

"Kinky. You been watching 50 Shades of Grey?" Steve chuckled then groaned in pain from his chest.

"Hell no. That was so stupid. All these women panting and fawning over that movie. Because Christian Grey was a handsome rich guy it was considered sexy. If he had been broke and living in the trailer park, it would've been just another creepy episode of CSI." She rolled her eyes.

Steve laughed then held his chest. "Stop…oh you're funny. No one puts things quite like you." He smiled. "It's one of the things I love most about you."

She smiled. "I love you too."

0900 Hours

Trina walked into the station and saw everyone buzzing around working. She walked over and sat down at her desk.

"How is Steve this morning?" Seth asked her, looking up from his desk.

"He has an upset stomach from the anesthesia but is looking better. He mentioned you called him." She said. "What's the latest on the case?"

"Calaway is refusing to talk but still insists he isn't Mark Calaway that he is Mark Callous. He shut up when John brought up finding an old Texas ID with the name Calaway and his photo on it." Seth said. "He has lawyered up."

"We need to get out to the motel and search his room and truck. I want to get it done as soon as possible." Trina said.

"You sure you are up to this?" John asked her.

"Hell yes. That son of a bitch comes into my hometown and starts committing murder, mutilating innocent women, making everyone on edge and afraid…and then he shot my man!" Trina glared.

"Look out Calaway, Gellar is pissed!" Seth snickered.

"You and that stupid show." Trina rolled her eyes at him.

"Well let's get out to the motel." John said.

The three of them stood up getting ready to leave when Dolph walked in. He was had a couple of folders in his hands.

"Good morning. I came because I have big news. But first…how is Steve? You haven't killed Calaway for hurting him did you?" he looked at Trina.

"The thought has crossed my mind. But he is doing okay. Just an upset stomach from the meds and very sore." She said. "So what is this big news?"

"I called in a few favors and had the DNA found inside of Cheat Doe and Canaan Doe compared with the DNA found in that hooker in Texas...we got a match. Whoever killed the girl in Texas is the same guy who killed our two unidentified victims. And most likely our other two as well." Dolph said and handed them the folders with the information in them.

"That is great! I could just kiss you." She smiled and kissed his cheek.

"And I got a judge to sign off on a warrant for a DNA sample from Callous/Calaway whatever he is calling himself today. He has no choice but to give one now. We should have all our answers soon because I am having this rushed and calling in a few more favors. I may have to marry the lab tech in Charleston I keep talking to for these rushed results." Dolph chuckled.

"Is she cute?" Seth asked.

"I never saw HIM." Dolph said.

"You poor thing, but still a step up from that Nikki bitch!" Trina smiled, thrilled with the good news in the case.

"I'm gonna talk to Jerry and then get the DNA from Calaway." Dolph said.

"We're headed out to the motel to see what we can find." Trina said.

"I'll meet you out there with some luminol." Dolph called after them. 

To Be Continued…..

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _Love the reviews from last chapter. You guys are awesome and got me inspired to get this next chapter done quickly. Debwood-1999 (Yes we still have the accomplice.), Batistasprincess (I cracked up at your action packed line. The baseball bat line made me chuckle too.), jcott3 (Search warrant executed next chapter.), XoxoShonKV (I love cliffhangers. Sorry. LOL)._


	23. Warrants Executed

" _I'm gonna talk to Jerry and then get the DNA from Calaway." Dolph said._

" _We're headed out to the motel to see what we can find." Trina said._

" _I'll meet you out there with some luminol." Dolph called after them._

1000 Hours

"Seth, did you bring Calaway's keys?" Trina asked as they got out of the SUV at the motel.

"Yes, and he had a hissy fit about giving them up when we booked him. I am telling you, that man knows the jig is up." Seth tossed her the keys.

"Hopefully one of these keys opens that hard shell suitcase. I know there is something in there he doesn't want us to find." Trina said.

"You take the room, I'll work on the truck." Seth said.

Trina hurried up the stairs to Mark's motel room. She opened the door with the master key Ricky had given them the night before and walked in. Everything was in place just as she and John had left it the night before. She saw the suitcase still on the floor.

She kneeled down beside it and began using Mark's keys, trying to find the right one to get it open. Finally she found the right key and the lock opened. She pulled on latex gloves and then opened the top of the suitcase. Looking inside, she felt elation and rage at the same time.

On one side of the suitcase was make-up; an entire collection of female make-up. Foundation, pressed powder, blush, eye shadow, lipstick. Trina realized this was the make-up that Calaway used to make up the heads of the victims. On the other side of the case, she saw several female wallets. She carefully picked them up and began looking through each one. As she looked she realized they were the wallets of the victims and she was surprised to see there was one from Texas as well that did not match the victims found in Tucker County.

She looked in the pocket of the suitcase and found a small address book. She carefully pulled it out and began flipping through it. All the addresses were in Texas. It was obviously Calaway's from his time living in Texas. She knew they would have to contact Windham about the people listed in the book.

"Find anything?" Seth walked in the room.

"Yeah, there is make-up in this case and I am pretty sure it is what he uses on the victims post-mortem." She sighed. "I also found the wallets and ID's of our four victims and some woman in Texas…may be the unidentified girl Windham has been investigating."

"At least now we can identify Cheat Doe and Canaan Doe." Seth knelt down beside her.

"From the looks of things….this girl resembles Cheat Doe….says her name is Lana…..not sure how to pronounce that last name. She is a foreign exchange student from Russia studying at WVU. That is probably why no one has contacted us about her…her family is outside of the US." Trina handed him Lana's wallet.

"What about Canaan Doe?" Seth asked.

"Looks like her real name is Renee Young, ID says she is from Canada. No clue why she was here or who she was with but at least now we can call someone who knows her." Trina said. "April Lee's wallet and Layla El's wallet are here too."

"Trophies?" Seth looked at her.

"Most likely. Even after the head had decayed to the point he had to get rid of it, he had mementoes of the girls to help him relive the thrill. Kinda like his own personal weird porn." She said. "There is also a wallet here belonging to a Michelle McCool from Texas. I am gonna contact Windham about her."

"I found a foul smelling cooler in his truck behind the seats. Smell of decay inside. My guess is Calaway uses it to transport the heads in." Seth said. "I bagged it up for testing. I also found a large machete. It was clean but bagged it up as well."

"If that is what he was using, I am sure Dolph can find evidence on it somewhere." Trina said.

"I don't get it. These girls don't resemble at all. Different builds, different hair colors, different nationalities." Seth said.

"They were victims of chance. My guess is for Calaway he doesn't have a type he looks for, he looks for who is vulnerable and easy prey." Trina said.

"You may be right." Dolph said from the doorway. He walked in carrying an investigation kit.

"How did it go with Calaway?" Seth asked.

"I thought we would have to pry his mouth open. He was not happy and did not want to submit a sample." Dolph shook his head, pulling on latex gloves.

"He knows he is a match. He knows he's caught." Trina said.

"Well let's see if he used his motel room for murder." Dolph took out a bottle of luminol. "Trina, take the black light."

Dolph handed Trina a black light. Seth carefully moved the suitcase out of the way, knowing Dolph would have to finger print it later to conclusively link it to Calaway. And they would need the information on the ID's to contact the families of the girls.

"Let's start in the bathroom. If I had to make a guess, there is signs of blood there, even if it is just from clean up." Dolph said.

They walked into the bathroom and Dolph began spraying, first in the bathtub and then the floor and finally in the sink. He turned off the light and Trina turned on the black light.

"Whoa….he definitely did something in that tub." Seth said as they could see the tub fluorescing with signs of blood pretty much covering the entire tub.

"Couldn't that be from chemicals used to clean?" Trina asked.

"Could be, I'll take a few swabs for testing. If I had to guess….this is where he decapitates them." Dolph explained. "Blood is contained and easily washed down the drain."

"Doesn't appear to be more than a few specks of blood on the floor." Seth commented as Trina moved the black light around the room.

"Try the sink." Dolph said.

She moved the light over to the sink and the basin glowed.

"Bingo, signs of blood from where he cleaned himself up." Dolph said.

"He must've been good at clean up. Housekeeping staff was in here every day and never suspected a thing." Seth said.

"But we got him now. Bastard won't be sending me anymore mutilated girls." Dolph said and they could hear the anger in his voice.

1200 Hours

Seth and Trina walked back into the station at Davis. Dolph had taken all the evidence to be tested for more evidence and said he was rushing the results of everything. Dolph was working overtime being the only one in the county with formal forensic training.

"How did it go?" Jerry asked them as they walked in.

"We found the wallets of the dead girls. We think we have the ID's of Cheat Doe and Canaan Doe." Trina explained.

"Start calling their people immediately. What else?" Jerry asked.

"Found a machete we think Calaway used for the decapitations. Also found a cooler that reeked of decay. Dolph took both for testing. We also found signs of blood in the motel bathroom." Seth said.

"And we found a collection of female make-up. I mean Calaway had as much as I do and I am a woman that wears it daily." Trina said. "Pretty sure that is what he is using to make-up the heads post-mortem. Dolph said he was gonna have chemical comparisons run. He is calling in favors from everyone in the state to rush this stuff."

"What's going on with Calaway?" Seth asked.

"Still won't talk. He has lawyered up. Otunga is representing him, don't ask me why." Jerry rolled his eyes.

"That slimy snake would represent Judas Iscariot if he thought it would make him famous." Trina said. "That jackass thinks this is his chance to make a big name for himself…represent a serial killer, do the talk-show circuit….remind me to start a rumor he has herpes."

"Well while you guys were at the motel, John and I worked on tracking those pre-paid cell phones. They were all three bought in Texas, paid for in cash. No way to trace them." Jerry said. "Also, Calaway will be arraigned tomorrow for shooting Steve. And Sandow wants an update of evidence as you get it."

"I'll start making the calls on Cheat Doe and Canaan Doe. Why don't you call Windham about the girl from Texas? You have spoken with him before." Seth said.

"I will. And I know you will be gentle with these people." She gave him a small smile.

"They must be out of their minds with worry." Seth said.

1700 Hours

"Seth, I got great news." Trina spun around in her chair to face him.

"You and Taylor Swift are gonna share a lesbian kiss while singing 'Naughty Girl'?" Seth smirked at her.

"Seth, if I were gonna kiss another woman, it wouldn't be Taylor Swift." Trina rolled her eyes. "I spoke with Detective Windham in Texas, he nearly did a backflip when he found out the semen in the dead hooker case matched the semen found in our victims. He is anxiously waiting to hear if it is all traced back to Calaway…and he was pissed to find out Calaway had shot Steve."

"That is good news." Seth agreed. "What about the McCool girl?"

"Windham told me she has been listed as a missing person in Houston for over a year. He is contacting the family and letting his ME handle a positive ID on the body of their Jane Doe." Trina said. "How did it go with the families?"

"I contacted the provost office at WVU that put me in touch with the head of the foreign exchange program. He confirmed that Lana had not attended any summer courses in a few weeks. He had spoken to her sponsor family and they had not heard from her either. School authorities are going to contact her family in Russia and put them in touch with the Russian consulate." Seth sighed.

"That poor girl, so far away from home and to die at the hands of an evil stranger." Trina sighed.

"I spoke with the family of Renee Young. They said she was supposed to be on a vacation to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. They have no idea why she would be in West Virginia." Seth said. "I made a few more calls and found out Ms. Young entered the US on July 1st. She was on a bus. I put her family in contact with Dolph."

"I also gave Windham some of the names from the address book we found in Calaway's things. He didn't recognize any of the names right off but said he would look into them and get back to us." She said.

"Someone had to help Calaway set up a new identity and pretend to be those references when Calaway got the job with the construction crew." Seth said.

"Question is did he know why Calaway was running and changing his identity?" Trina sighed. "Also, I found the contact information for Calaway's ex-wife…a lady named Sara. I want to talk to her."

"Why? You think she is mixed up in this?" Seth asked.

"Not at this time…..so far his whole murder MO says he works alone. But if she was married to him, she is bound to know about his sexual proclivities….maybe she can shed some light on….."

Jerry walked out of his office. "Trina, you have done enough today. Go spend some time with Steve."

"Are you sure?" she looked up. "I mean I need to call Mark's ex-wife and I am waiting to hear back from Windham about the names from the address book. It might hold a clue to who helped Calaway create a new identity."

"You have worked hard all day and I know you are antsy to get back to your boyfriend. Go take care of him. Be back tomorrow. If anything breaks in the meantime, I or John can handle it. Besides, now it is a waiting game. Calaway has lawyered up so he is not going to talk. And it will take time for the forensic tests to come back, positive ID's to be confirmed." Jerry told her. "And tell Steve hello from us."

"I will." She stood up. "Thank you."

She hurried to the locker room to change into civilian clothes before going to the hospital.

1745 Hours

Trina walked into Steve's hospital room, carting bags of take-out for dinner. Steve had his bed adjusted so that he was sitting up and watching some TV. He had changed into some sleep pants.

"How's the patient feeling?" she smiled and walked over to his bed.

Steve smiled up at her. "I am okay, still in pain but at least I don't want to vomit all the time."

She leaned down and kissed him. "Feel like some dinner? I brought stuff from the deli."

"I could eat a little. This hospital food is nasty." He complained.

"I don't think anyone likes hospital food." She chuckled as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "I brought you some of that chicken salad you like so much."

"That sounds better than that dry meatloaf they tried pushing on me.' Steve grumbled.

"I would've cooked you something and brought but today was so busy." She said as she handed him a sandwich.

"Oh that is fine. I understand the job, believe me." Steve gave her a small smile. "So what is happening with the case?"

"Calaway has lawyered up and isn't talking. But he is being arraigned tomorrow for shooting you. In the meantime, Dolph got a DNA sample from him…finally. And the lab was able to connect the DNA found in the mouths of our victims to the dead hooker in Texas. Now we are waiting to see if it matches Calaway but we're pretty sure it will. I bet then the bastard sings like a bird." She caught him up on the case as she ate while sitting on the bed.

"Did you search the motel room yet?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, found signs of blood in the bathroom. Seth found a cooler in Calaway's truck that he thinks was used to hold the heads. And we found the wallets and ID's of our victims. It helped us locate the families of Cheat Doe and Canaan Doe." She explained. "Turns out Cheat Doe is a Russian exchange student from WVU. Guess that explains the accent Mr. Gibson told us about. Canaan Doe is a Canadian girl….she was supposed to be going to Myrtle Beach so not sure how she ended up here."

"I am really proud of you." Steve took her hand.

"For what?" she looked up at him.

"Your work on this case. You have been like a dog with a bone...and now the killer is off the streets, we just need the lab results and he'll never be on the streets again. And now those girls' families can have closure." He smiled at her.

She blushed a bit but gently shrugged it off. "I was just doing my job."

"No baby, you did great. It was you that made the connection with the Texas case." He praised her again.

"I am just glad Calaway can't hurt anymore girls." Trina said.

"Your parents would be proud." Steve told her. She looked up at him. "I wanted you to know that. As proud of you as I am….and as proud as Jerry is, and I can tell he is when we speak on the phone…..I just know out there, somewhere your parents are glowing with pride."

"Thank you….I miss them." She gave a small smile.

"And I might just have to stop by Joe's garage just to brag about how wonderful your ideas are! And mention that a real man listens to a smart lady." Steve smirked.

"Have you been talking to Seth? That sounds like one of his ideas." She laughed. "Talk to him and he'll go with you." She laughed more.

"I can't believe he treated you like he did." Steve said.

"Guess it's like that Patty Loveless song. He hurt me bad…but in a real good way." She kissed Steve's cheek.

"Come again?"

"It's a Patty Loveless song…..about a woman being happy with the new man in her life and realizing if her ex hadn't hurt her and left her, she wouldn't have found her new man that makes her so happy." She chuckled as she explained. "There is a country song for everything."

"You and that country music!" Steve laughed.

She looked at him. "I meant it when I told you I loved you….I just wanted you to know that in case you thought I was just caught up in you being injured."

He smiled at her. "I knew you meant it. I could feel it." He reached up and stroked her cheek. "I meant it too."

1900 Hours

Steve had commented that he wanted to get cleaned up, so Trina offered to give him a sponge bath. She checked with the nurses to make sure it was okay and they told her as long as she didn't get his incision wet, it would be fine. So Trina had shut the door to his private room and helped him strip down to his underwear. She took one of the hospital pans and filled it with water and grabbed a couple of washcloths from the bathroom.

"Steve, you need to stop squirming." She giggled as she washed down his arms.

"Are you kidding? I am in my underwear and have a beautiful woman washing me." Steve said.

"Do I need to go get a male nurse?" she giggled as she washed his shoulders.

"No, but I may be figuring ways to…"

"Don't even think it. We are not doing anything to hurt your stitches." She said.

"This is a cosmic prank…we become intimate and I get shot." Steve sighed.

"Baby, you'll heal up. It's not like this will be forever." She dipped the washcloth in the pan again.

"I know but that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it." Steve said.

Trina started laughing. Steve looked at her as she continued laughing as she began washing his left leg.

"What is so funny?" he asked.

"It's just…..I thought at your age you would be past…..well I just thought….at your age I didn't think you would have such an active sex drive." She laughed.

He chuckled. "I am in my 50's, not dead."

"You've been hanging around Seth too much. That sounds like something he would say." She laughed. "But maybe this will inspire you to heal quick." She winked.

"I need to talk to the doctor." Steve said. "See how much I am allowed to do."

She chuckled and sat down next to him and leaned forward and kissed him.

"Oh you can't do that if I can't do anything about it." Steve winked.

"I was just thinking how good it feels to be wanted and respected at the same time." She smiled. "It feels good to be with someone who loves my mind as well as my body."

"That's how it should be. I would never treat you any other way." Steve took her hand. "Now finish this sponge bath before some nurse comes to see what we are doing." He chuckled, making her laugh as well.

 _ **Author's Notes-**_ _This story keeps running away with me. Just when I think I have it figured out, new stuff inspires me and my reviewers are so awesome. I cannot thank you enough. I enjoy reading each review. Paisley2 (Maybe we did, LOL. Apparently we watched a lot of the same people growing up.) Batistasprincess (Glad that it helped brighten your day.) Rollinsgirl (I do love Seth, never had the inspiration for Seth as a lead but never know when something will hit me over the head.) XoxoShonKV (Well hopefully this answered some of your questions. I love that you are so into the story.) Carlyrosanna83, Debwood-1999 (I don't need to look them up, I already know them. And to this day I am irate that Homolka got off so easy with that deal she made before the cops found all the evidence.)_


	24. First Court Appearance

July 20th, 0800 Hours

Trina was driving to work, having spent the night at her own house, once again curled up with Steve's t-shirt. She knew today would be a busy day and that Calaway was being arraigned today. She picked up her cell phone and called Steve at the hospital.

"Trina this breakfast is not fit for human consumption. Good morning." Steve picked up the phone.

She laughed. "Good morning to you too. Now what did they serve you that is so terrible?"

"This toast is dry, the eggs are like rubber and the coffee tastes like they made it with mud. Makes me miss your coffee that could kill a houseplant." Steve grumbled.

"Well baby, I can't bring you breakfast this morning because I need to get to the station but I promise to bring you some food later today." She said.

"I am gonna call one of the officers in Parsons and have them bring me a nice breakfast." Steve said.

"How are you feeling other than the horrible breakfast?" she chuckled.

"Still sore but it is manageable. Some cute lady gave me a reason to get better fast." He said.

"I am glad I could help. I will talk to you later. Behave for your nurses." She giggled. "I love you."

"I love you too. Be nice to Seth. I know how you two are." Steve laughed as he hung up.

She pulled into the station and climbed out of her Jeep. She walked inside and found the team already working. She sat down at her desk, looking through the messages that had been left for her.

"How is Richard?" Seth snickered and sat down on the edge of her desk.

"Seth, I swear I am going to choke you one of these days." She rolled her eyes. "He is griping about the hospital food."

"Otunga is meeting with Calaway. He got here bright and early. The arraignment is at 11am. Sandow is going to push for no bail." Layfield said as he joined the conversation. "That detective in Texas sent you a bunch of stuff."

"Oh good, I want to look through it and see what I can find." She said.

"What exactly are you looking for? Once the DNA tests come back we will have all our answers." Seth said.

"Not all our answers. That will prove that he killed four girls in West Virginia and killed in Texas before he got here. It will not tell us why." She looked at Seth.

"Some people are just bat shit crazy." John said.

"Yes, but if there is anything in his past that will help explain why he is this way…or that can help us build a stronger case, I want to find it. I want to understand why this happened while putting his balls in a noose." She said.

"Sounds painful." Seth said. "Well I'll leave you to it."

"Any luck tracking down who helped him create the false identity?" Trina asked.

"Not yet." John said.

Trina began looking through the fax pages Windham had sent her on everything he could find on Mark Calaway. She learned that Mark Calaway had done a stint in the army. It was uneventful and he was honorably discharged. After he was discharged he was briefly married but the marriage ended after a year. He had worked for a while as a truck driver. There was nothing out of the ordinary on his record until he became a suspect in the murder of the headless girl in Texas. After that he dropped off the radar.

Trina sat back in her chair, deep in thought. She reached and grabbed the phone, dialing quickly.

"Windham." She heard over the line.

"Hey detective…this is Officer Conley." She said.

"Oh hi officer. How is Detective Borden? I heard what happened to him." Windham asked.

"He is feeling better, he is complaining about the hospital food and anxious to get home." She smiled. "Thanks for asking."

"So what can I help you with?" Windham asked.

"I was just reading through the information on Calaway you sent me. It says here that he was married for a short period of time….lady named Sara. Has anyone spoken to her?" Trina asked. "I am anxious to hear what she has to say about her time with him."

"We tried speaking with her when we were investigating him for the death of the girl found decapitated. She didn't have much to say and kept saying that Calaway was her past and she didn't wish to think about him anymore." Windham told her.

"I want to speak with her. Do you have a number for her?" Trina asked.

"I do, but don't be surprised if she won't speak to you." Windham said and read off a number for her after he looked it up.

"She may not, but I am hoping she will." Trina said. "Thanks detective. We'll be in touch." She hung up.

1045 Hours

John and Seth were sitting with Trina in the courthouse, waiting for the arraignment of Mark Calaway for shooting Steve. Otunga was sitting at the defense table while DA Damien Sandow was at the opposite table. Both were waiting for Chief Lawler to bring the prisoner for his arraignment.

"If he is allowed bail he will run." Trina wrung her hands nervously.

"Sandow is not gonna let that happen." Seth tried to reassure her.

"My daddy was right, if they let a killer go and he kills more people they should hang the judge and defense lawyer." She said.

Layfield chuckled. "That sounds like your dad alright."

Jerry brought Mark in and sat him at the defense table next to Otunga. Jerry moved to sit behind them.

They all stood as Judge Larry Zbyszko entered the courtroom. He took his seat behind the bench and the rest of the courtroom was seated.

"Good morning everyone." Zbyszko said as he looked through the papers in front of him. "Mark Calaway, you are charged with the attempted homicide of Detective Steve Borden. You have counsel. Do you understand this charge?"

"Yes, your honor." Calaway answered.

"What is your plea?" Zbyszko asked.

"Not guilty." Mark said.

Trina nearly leaped out of her chair, only Seth reaching over to grip her hand kept her seated. Layfield wrapped an arm around her, seeing her eyes wide in disbelief.

"Otunga must've convinced him to plead not guilty and they are gonna try arguing self-defense." John whispered. Trina bit her lip to keep quiet.

"DA Sandow has moved that bail be denied." Zbyszko stated.

"Your honor, there is no basis to deny bail. Mr. Calaway has a clean record." Otunga stood up.

"Your honor, Mr. Calaway is a flight risk. He has no ties to the area. Furthermore he is the prime suspect in four homicides in Tucker County. And we have proof that he has changed his identity before. He was working in Tucker County under a false name." Sandow stood up and countered.

"He has not been charged with homicide." Otunga argued.

"Your honor we are waiting for DNA results before formally charging him. The samples have been sent to the lab and as soon as we have confirmation we will be charging him." Sandow stood his ground. "Also, Calaway fled Texas after he was questioned about a murder there. The reports of the Davis Police and the Houston Police are part of the records you have your honor."

Judge Zbyszko looked through the paperwork again. "Bail is denied pending the results of the DNA testing. When the results are presented to the court we will review the issue of bail at that time. Pre-trial hearing will be set at that time as well." Zbyszko tapped his gavel.

They all stood up as Zbyszko left the courtroom. Seth turned and hugged Trina, he could feel she was shaking.

"That bastard shot Steve…shot him in front of me and now he pleads not guilty!" she was so angry she was nearly in tears.

"Trinvilla, hold it together. We're all pissed but you know how Otunga is." Seth told her firmly. "He'll never get by with shooting Steve because you and John both know that Steve didn't have his weapon drawn when he was shot. Just calm down and focus on pinning the murders on him."

"Besides, charging him with shooting Steve was what we needed to keep him in custody, let the asshole plead what he wants." John told her. "Bail was denied, that is the main thing."

"You're right. I just….."

"Love your boyfriend and went into protective mode." Seth smirked.

"I'd have been just as pissed if he shot you." She countered. "But I do love him."

Seth hugged her again. "Nice to know if I am ever shot I will have you there throwing a tantrum." He chuckled making her laugh as well.

1300 Hours

Trina was sitting at her desk at the station, reading through the faxes from Windham in Texas. She had studied them for the past hour, trying to further her profile of Calaway.

"You calmed down now? Calaway is back in his cell." Seth sat down at his desk.

"Has he said anything yet?" Trina asked.

"No, but Otunga has him under strict orders to not talk." Seth said.

"I am going to call his ex-wife. She was married to him, she might be able to give us some insights to help us. I am gonna try the woman-to-woman approach with her." Trina said.

"What good will that do?" Seth asked.

"Might help us figure out how he got started killing. Tell us his sexual kinks. Develop the profile better. I want to know as much about this man as possible so that when this goes to court Sandow has no problem at all putting the noose around his neck." She said.

"West Virginia doesn't have the death penalty." Seth shook his head. "But you're right, no stone should go unturned. Give it a shot."

Trina turned and picked up her phone while grabbing her notepad. She dialed the phone and waited for an answer.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Sara Calaway?" Trina asked.

"Not anymore, I changed my name back to Sara Frank a few years ago. Who is this?" she asked.

"I'm Officer Trina Conley from the Davis West Virginia Police Department. Do you have a few minutes to speak to me? It's about your ex-husband." Trina explained politely.

"I have nothing to say. I haven't even seen Mark in nearly two years." Sara said.

"Ms. Frank, please…..I really need to speak to you. Mark Calaway is the prime suspect in a multiple homicide case here in West Virginia and may have been involved in homicides in Texas as well." Trina said, hoping she could get this woman to talk.

"Officer, I know nothing about any of that. When I divorced Mark, I cut all contact with that man. There is nothing I can say to help you." Sara was obviously distressed and did not want to think about her time with Mark.

"Ms. Frank…Sara, I understand believe me I do. I know what it is like to fall in love with a man and then find out that they are not what they seem. You feel foolish and don't want people to know. I have been there….it's okay, no one will judge you." Trina said, trying to use her own experiences to connect with Sara.

"How did you know?" Sara choked and Trina could tell she was crying.

"Like I said, I have been there. I know how it feels. I was once in love with a man that betrayed me too." She said gently. "Tell me what happened?"

"Mark seemed like such a good man when we first met. When we got married, I loved him so much." Sara cried.

"But then he changed." Trina had sympathy for the woman crying on the phone. "What happened Sara? How did Mark change?"

"He….he began requesting strange things from me…in the bedroom. He wanted oral sex all the time. And I was okay with that, he was my husband…so to me that was acceptable. And then he wanted to watch violent porn….like the type that portrays rape. That scared me." Sara cried more.

"Take your time." Trina said softly.

"But then…Mark started asking me to participate in a threesome. I refused…he was my husband, I didn't want to share him with another woman…and I am not into women. But he kept bringing it up. And…one day….he brought a hooker home, said she had agreed to the threesome. I absolutely refused." Sara explained. "At that point, the marriage was over for me. I left him."

"Sara, I am so sorry that happened. That must've been terrible." Trina told the upset woman. "I have to ask, was Mark ever violent with you?"

"No, he never was." Sara said. "But…when I was packing to move out of our house…I found he had several hidden boxes of porn. Porn I never knew about. It was strange. I know most married couples have a few adult DVD's but this was hundreds of DVDs."

"That is all I need for now. Ms. Frank, thank you so much for your time. It took a lot of strength and courage to tell me about this." Trina wanted to comfort the woman. "And none of this was your fault. Nothing Mark has done is your fault, while you were married to him or since you divorced him."

"Thank you, I hope I helped." Sara said.

"You did. Have a good day." Trina said and hung up the phone. She looked up to see Jerry leaning against the wall watching her, obviously listening as she questioned the woman.

"That was wonderful. I am so proud of you." Jerry said.

"It was no big deal." Trina shrugged.

"Yes it was." Jerry sat on the edge of her desk. "The compassion you showed that woman and the connection you made with her…..I don't think any male cop could've gotten her to talk."

"Jerry is right. That was impressive. And it was great that you were willing to share your own pain to help her open up." Seth smiled at her. "Come on, let's grab a snack. Been a hectic day."

She stood up and followed Seth into the break room. She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and sat down at the table. Seth sat down beside her with an apple.

"How is your Richard?" Seth asked.

"I am gonna strangle you one of these days. But he is complaining about hospital food." She said. "By the way, you were right about his sex drive. He is annoyed that he will have to heal before we can be intimate again."

"Did I tell ya?" Seth chuckled. "But I am sure there is ways you two could fool around without hurting his injury."

Trina looked at him. "I am not risking hurting him."

Seth was silent for a minute. "You know, if you were on top and he stayed still…"

"Don't even finish that statement." She rolled her eyes. "Besides, I refuse to end up taking him to the ER with ripped stitches and have to explain he tore open his incision because of his hormones."

Seth cracked up. "I am sure when the doctors realized Steve had a cute girlfriend they would understand." Seth laughed as Trina glared at him. "You may be right, I mean it is very hard to stay still when you got something sexy bouncing on your dick."

Trina groaned and laid her head on the table. They heard a noise and looked up to see Layfield standing in the doorway.

"I don't even remember why I came in here." John rolled his eyes. "What the hell are you two into now?"

"The usual…Seth is being Seth while I put up with it." Trina laughed. She looked at Seth. "And no more statements like that, his injury means I have to abstain too."

"I am gonna legally adopt you two so I can at least get a tax break for putting up with your antics." John shook his head.

1900 Hours

Trina walked into Steve's hospital room carrying their dinner she had bought after leaving the station. Steve was sitting up in bed reading the book Trina had brought from home for him. He looked up and smiled when he saw her.

"There's my girl." He smiled.

"How are you feeling?" she sat down on the bed and hugged him.

"Still sore. Doctor said that is to be expected." He kissed her softly. "Heard you had a busy day?"

"From who?" she looked at him.

"Seth called to check on me and we talked a bit. Then John stopped by a bit ago." Steve explained.

"I brought you dinner. I promised I would bring you some real food." She smiled and handed him one of the take out containers.

"Good because whatever they tried serving for dinner was nasty…I think it was supposed to be Salisbury steak but tasted like a roof single." Steve made a sour face.

"I had the diner make you a nice steak with all the trimmings." She smiled.

"Sounds great." Steve opened the plate. "John tells me you about lost it in court today."

"That slimy bastard pled not guilty to shooting you. I mean….my brain knows that we needed to charge him with something to hold him while waiting on the DNA results. And I know that Otunga is gonna try to get him off of every charge he can…but my heart is telling me to turn that rooster to a hen with one shot!" Trina said.

Steve burst out laughing then grabbed his side. "Don't make me laugh, it hurts. The crazy things you say."

"Well that one isn't mine. Dolly Parton says it in '9 to 5' when she gets pissed at her boss." Trina chuckled.

"You are so adorable." Steve smiled.

"I spoke with Calaway's ex-wife today." She said.

"Yeah, Seth told me about that. Says you were able to get her to open up." Steve said as he cut his steak.

"Yeah, and after talking with her…I worked some more on my profile of Calaway. I think I have him mostly figured out." She said as she ate her cheeseburger.

"Well tell me about it." Steve encouraged.

"I think Mark always had some strange sexual kinks...some that are unusual to the average person." She started.

"Average person?"

"Okay…everybody has some kinks that most people accept easily….dirty talk, certain lingerie styles, a certain body type or personality type, biting….you know the stuff most people do." Trina explained.

"I am having a sex talk with my gorgeous girlfriend and it's about work!" Steve commented with a small smirk.

"Behave…..then there are the kinks that while not everyone is into but still pretty popular…so to speak. You know…spanking, role play, light bondage….of course that stupid 50 shades has everyone wanting to be tied up!" she further explained. "And then there are the fetishes that…aren't as acceptable and it can be difficult to find a partner into the same thing. Still perfectly fine as long as both partners are consenting adults and enjoying it…the hardcore bondage, swingers etc"

"How do you know all this?" Steve raised an eyebrow.

"I am well read and open minded." She said. "Then there are those with kinks that are dangerous and often break the law."

"And what category do you think Calaway falls into?" Steve asked.

"I think he started out as someone with kinks that are difficult to find an accepting partner for…..his wife mentioned he constantly wanted oral sex….that in itself isn't that unusual but it would explain our victims being used for it. His wife also said he enjoyed violent porn and kept pressuring her to be part of a ménage a tois which she refused and she finally left him when he brought a hooker home to play." She explained. "Mark had these kinks, couldn't get his wife to participate in them…and apparently didn't have the social skills to find someone else with the same kinks."

"Was he ever violent with her?" Steve asked.

"No, but something made him turn violent. I just can't find what made him turn from kinky to violent with kinks." She frowned.

"Something set him off….maybe it was just frustration of not finding someone compatible." Steve said.

"I still have a feeling he was into the bondage scene and broke the rules." Trina said.

"Should I be worried you know all this? Am I gonna wake up tied to the bed with you standing over me holding a whip?" Steve chuckled.

"Nah I prefer a riding crop." She deadpanned.

"That's comforting." he chuckled. "You are really smart you know. And I am surprised that a small town girl is comfortable with such topics."

"I realized a long time ago that if I wanted to be good at this job, I had to get past embarrassing topics." She laughed. "Although I never expected to actually have to do it this way."

Dr. Hennig walked in, smiling to see the couple laughing and enjoying dinner together.

"Doctor, good to see you." Steve smiled.

"Well I see you got a good dinner." Dr. Hennig smiled.

"If she didn't bring me real food to eat I would sneak out of here." Steve smiled.

"In that case I have some good news for you. Everything is looking good, no complications. I am going to let you go home tomorrow." Dr. Hennig said.

"That is great! I know he has been going a little crazy in here." Trina smiled.

"He will need to rest and take it easy for a week and then he can start physical therapy." Dr. Hennig said. "When I discharge you in the morning, I will have a list of instructions for you to follow."

"And I will make sure he follows them." She assured the doctor.

"Seems like you will be in good hands. Have a good night. I will see you in the morning." Dr. Hennig smiled and walked out.

"Finally, I can sleep without being prodded every couple of hours." Steve smiled.

"And you're coming to my house to recuperate." She said.

"That isn't needed. I will be fine at my place."

"No, I insist." She said.

"I don't want to be a bother. Seriously, I will be okay at my house."

"Steve, I want to take care of you. And having you at my place I can do that and I will know you are okay and can make sure you are okay overnight." She took his hand.

Steve looked at her and saw she was sincere. "Okay, if you're sure."

"I am. I want to take care of you. I love you." She smiled and kissed him.

Neither one said anything but they both realized they were in this together for the long haul.

2200 Hours

Trina was at home, straightening up the guest room for Steve to stay in while he was staying with her. She had stopped by his house and picked up some of his clothes for him. She wanted him to be comfortable in her home.

Her doorbell started ringing so she hurried into the living room to answer it. She looked out and saw Naomi standing on her porch.

"Hey Naomi, what brings you by?" she smiled.

"Trina, I hope I didn't come over too late." Naomi said.

"Not at all. How are you?" she smiled and opened the door.

"I'm fine. I just wanted to check on your boyfriend." Naomi said. "And Jimmy is working nightshift so I am a little bored."

"Steve is doing better. He gets to come home tomorrow. He is gonna stay with me while he heals." She said. "Come on in the kitchen, we'll have some coffee."

"Sounds like you two are pretty serious." Naomi said. "That is great after that last asshole."

"Steve is wonderful. I really love him." Trina found herself smiling as she filled the coffee pot.

"So you two knocking boots yet?" Naomi giggled as she sat down at the table.

Trina laughed. "Yes and honey, the man is a sex god!"

Naomi giggled again. "Details, details."

"Well Joe was so lousy in bed, I feared my sex drive had died forever." Trina began to explain as she sat down across from Naomi.

"Seriously?"

"Oh yeah, he was horrible in bed….to the point I started faking having yeast infections so I wouldn't have to have sex with him…or at least what he called sex." Trina rolled her eyes remembering her ex's lack of bedroom ability.

"How can a grown ass man be that bad in bed?" Naomi asked.

"You tell me….me couldn't keep me wet, couldn't get hard unless he rubbed against me for like 20 minutes and only wanted to do two positions, one of which I couldn't even feel anything if he did it. And don't even get me started on his version of foreplay." Trina said, enjoying having some girl talk time.

"Did you try….helping him?"

"All the damn time….even bought some books but he wouldn't take advice and kept saying I was the problem." Trina sighed.

"So tell me about Mr. Sex god." Naomi giggled.

"Well he knows how to do foreplay…he takes his times and realizes there is more to the female body than boobs and vagina." Trina smiled.

"That is a keeper. You always want a man that is good at foreplay." Naomi chuckled. "Foreplay and oral."

"Oh really? Nice to know Jimmy has those skills." Trina winked.

"Jimmy could write a book about how to please a woman." Naomi smiled. "Steve is older….any….difficulties?"

"Not that I can tell. Honey the man has stamina for days. Must be because he is in such great shape." Trina giggled.

"Girl, keep this one." Naomi smiled.

"Coffee is ready." Trina stood up and grabbed a few mugs.

"So I have some news that will give you evil glee." Naomi said.

"Oh really?" Trina began pouring the coffee.

"The state of West Virginia is taking Joe to court and making him pay child support for the kid he had with that whore." Naomi said.

Trina turned and looked at her. "What?"

"Yeah, I heard the rumor so I called a few of my friends at the courthouse. Turns out karma is a real bitch." Naomi laughed.

Trina walked over and placed their mugs of coffee on the table. "How did that happen? Joe was refusing to go to court or be put on the birth certificate."

"Well that whore Nicola still isn't working and trying to draw government benefits. And West Virginia has joined the ranks of states that won't give you benefits for a child unless you declare a father. So I guess Nicola got greedy and contacted family court." Naomi said, she was practically giddy.

"Really? Joe was always so confident that she wouldn't take him to court because she couldn't afford a lawyer…but he worried her mom would pay for one for her." Trina said as she sipped her coffee.

"Remember that home paternity test you guys did?" Naomi asked. Trina nodded. "I guess Nicola contacted that DNA lab and for a fee they produced documentation of the results that the court would accept."

"Oh yeah, I remember when we filled out the paperwork for that test that for an additional fee they would send you paperwork that could be presented in court of the results." Trina stated.

"Once Nicola turned that paperwork over to family court…..the baby's birth certificate was amended and Joe listed as the father…he had no choice." Naomi said. "Cameron who works in family court gave me all the details. I laughed for an hour."

"Joe should've known he couldn't trust that bitch. Are they still together?" Trina laughed.

"Oh the story gets better…..apparently Joe was pissed at her for a while, but she promised not to pursue child support she just wanted his name on the birth certificate so she could get a government check….so I guess they made up. I guess even when Cameron contacted her, she said she didn't want to pursue child support." Naomi laughed.

"Goodness, with this case going on, I missed all the good gossip." Trina chuckled.

"Well with all these law changes what the stupid cunt didn't realize is the reason the state makes you declare a father is so they can force the father to pay child support and not have to pay as much welfare benefits. Several states have adopted this policy." Naomi said. "Cameron told me that now…not only does Joe have to pay monthly child support for that baby…but also has to pay for health insurance for the baby…he'll no longer be on Medicaid."

"Gotta say I love that trusting that whore blew up in his face!" Trina smiled. "And hit him where it really hurts…his wallet."

"I am just so glad you have a great man now that you love….and apparently keeps you satisfied." Naomi's eyes sparkled with amusement.

"And now should something happen to Joe….at least the baby will be taken care of. It isn't that little guy's fault that his parents are jackasses." Trina said.

"When Steve is feeling up to it, you guys come over for dinner. We'd love to have you." Naomi said.

"That sounds great. Maybe with this case hopefully closing soon, we'll have time." Trina agreed.

 _Author's Note- This story is coming to an end, but I have been toying with the idea of a sequel (inspiration hit me along with several ideas) and I thought I would ask my faithful readers and reviewers what they thought. It would be a continuation of this story with a twist or two that hit me and it would allow me to develop some new things and I wanted to introduce Steve's sons. So let me know if you would be interested or should the story end with this one. Once again, thank you to my awesome reviewers. Paisley2 (Love that you are trying to figure all this out. It's awesome.), jcott3 (I am glad I managed to sneak a small surprise in on you.), Lordban (Pretty much!), Debwood-1999 (He was just perfect for the role of lawyer-you-want-to-hate. LOL), carlyrosanna83, batistasprincess (I wish Sandow was getting more air time doing anything. I think he is underrated.), XoxoShonKV (Another person I snuck a small surprise on! Love it!)_


	25. No More Silence

July 21st, 0900 Hours

Trina was tucking Steve into the bed in the guestroom. She had picked him up at the hospital about an hour ago, making sure she got all the doctor's instructions. She wanted him to heal quickly and be as comfortable as possible.

"Jack will probably stick near you, he is very smart and very protective." She nodded towards her coydog who was watching them.

"I am sure we will be fine. I am feeling a little more mobile today." Steve said. "Thank you so much taking care of me. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it."

She sat down on the bed beside him. "Steve, I love you. I will always take care of you."

"I like the sound of that." He smiled.

"I brought some of your clothes from your house. I put your toiletries in the guest bathroom so you don't have to climb the stairs for everything." She explained. "There is plenty of food in the kitchen, help yourself to anything you want."

"Trina I will be fine." Steve chuckled.

"I just worry about you." She smiled as her cell phone rang. "Conley." She answered her phone.

"Trina, I have great news. Lab just sent the results…..Mark Calaway is a match in our case and the case in Texas. He is definitely our killer and evidence shows he is a serial killer." Dolph told her.

"That is great news. I can't wait to shove this evidence down his throat!" Trina jumped up.

"I already faxed the test results to the authorities in Texas. I also sent copies to DA Sandow and to Jerry. I am sure Sandow will share the information with Otunga since this means a murder indictment is inevitable now." Dolph said.

"Dolph, you are beautiful. Thank you so much. I am on my way to the station now." Trina said and hung up the phone.

"I am going with you." Steve said.

"What?" she turned and looked at him.

"That was obviously Dolph telling you we got a DNA match….now you are going to confront Calaway and his lawyer with the evidence…..I am going too." Steve started to stand up.

"Steve, you just got out of the hospital an hour ago. I am not sure this is a good idea." She countered, concerned about him.

"I am fine to do an interview with Calaway, not like I have to wrestle him again." Steve started to stand up.

"But you are supposed to rest for a week. You heard Dr. Hennig." She said, but helped Steve stand just the same.

"Trina, I have worked this case all along, I deserve to be there. Especially after he shot me I want to watch him when he sees the jig is up and he can't wiggle out of this one." Steve said.

She looked at him for a moment, agreeing that he had worked long and hard on this case. She finally sighed. "Okay, I won't argue anymore. But the minute we are done with Calaway, I am bringing you home and you will rest if I have to tie you to the bed!"

"Kinky…..you sure you're not into that 50 shades stuff?" Steve winked.

"Gross, if I was into bondage that crap would've ruined it for me. Kinda the way that Twilight crap ruined vampire movies." Trina rolled her eyes. "Come on, we got Calaway's balls in a blender and I am ready to push the start button!"

Steve laughed once again at her crazy way of putting things as she guided him out of the guestroom.

0930 Hours

Trina walked closely beside Steve as they stepped inside the Davis Police Station. He was moving slowly but insisted he wasn't feeling any excess pain. Jerry and John looked up at them, surprised to see Steve there.

"Borden, I thought the doctor said you needed to rest a week?" Layfield asked.

"I already tried talking him out of this but after all his work on this case, he wants to be here and I am not going to argue as long as he takes it easy." Trina said as Steve took a seat at her desk.

"Well as long as he is sure." John eyed him.

"Mark has requested that his attorney be here, so we are waiting on Otunga to arrive. Seth is with DA Sandow going over all the evidence with him and getting the warrants so we can officially charge him with murder. I want everything done by the book so that snake Otunga doesn't have any room to argue that procedures weren't followed." Jerry said.

"Good idea, we can't let Calaway get off…he has shown he is too dangerous." Steve said.

"Look…..I wanted to run it by you guys first. West Virginia doesn't have the death penalty…but we all know Texas does and uses it. What if we tried to make a deal with Texas….think they would be willing to waive the death penalty if Calaway helps us find Renee Young's body and Layla El's head…and agrees to plead guilty and not force a long drawn out trial?" Trina explained what she had been thinking the past few days.

"You want to make him a deal? I figured you'd be pleading with Sandow to let Texas have him so he could be executed." Layfield was shocked.

"I have thought about this long and hard and….well if one of those girls was my daughter, I would want her whole body…even if she is dead, I would want to feel that she was whole." Trina explained.

Jerry rubbed his forehead. "Call Texas and give it a try. I agree it would help the families if they had their children whole and not in pieces. And if we can skip big long trials that is less on the families too. I don't think anyone, especially the families wants to sit in a courtroom and hear how he decapitated these girls then raped their mouths post-mortem."

"I will do that now. Thanks Jerry." Trina said.

"I will call Sandow and see what he thinks. I wouldn't want to do anything without him involved. But I am sure he would agree, Damien has a compassionate heart." Jerry said.

Jerry and Trina both went to make their respective phone calls. Trina called the Houston PD and spoke with Detective Windham explaining her idea and the reasons behind it. Windham did not like the idea of making a deal for Calaway but agreed that it might help the families. He agreed to speak with the Texas DA and get back to her.

After she hung up, she noticed Steve sitting quietly at her desk, reading over the paperwork in the case that had developed since he had been shot and in the hospital.

"How you feeling?" she asked and gently rubbed his shoulders.

"So far so good. No pain." He looked up at her and smiled. "You know how you told me it felt good to find someone that wanted you for your mind and body?" She nodded in response to his question. "I am very blessed that lady with a great mind and body cares about me like she does. It's very nice to have you fussing over me like you have."

She smiled and gave him a quick kiss. "Well I love you so much, it'd be hard not to fuss over you. I might have to give you another of those sponge baths." She winked.

"Those are no fun when I have to behave." Steve chuckled.

"I hate to interrupt." Jerry said behind them. They looked up to see him smiling at them. "I just spoke with Sandow and he agrees with us about finding the missing remains of the victims. He is willing to go along with this if Texas does."

"We're just waiting to hear back from Detective Windham, he was going to speak with the DA down there and get back to us. We need to have everything in order because you know Otunga." She said.

1015 Hours

Otunga had arrived at the station and was in an interview room meeting privately with Calaway. Trina was waiting for Windham to call back so they could start their interview with Mark as well.

"You ready for this?" Steve asked her.

"I think so. I mean we have all the evidence, he can't really deny anything at this point." Trina said.

"Just don't lose your cool should he try denying anything. Some people won't admit guilt no matter what. And you never know what Otunga might try….an insanity defense or anything." Steve warned her.

Her phone rang. She reached over to answer it. "Conley."

"This is Detective Windham, I spoke with our DA." Came over the line.

"And?"

"He is willing to cut a deal and waive the death penalty only if Calaway is willing to tell us where the head of Michelle McCool is. He spoke with her mother and she insists." Windham told her.

"Anything else?"

"Yes, our DA also insists he tell us about any other victims he may have in Texas that we have not yet linked to him. If he doesn't tell us and we find one later, this deal becomes null and void and we will pursue the death penalty." Windham said. "We also want tapes and transcripts of his interviews in West Virginia."

"You got it. I'll overnight it if I have to." She promised and hung up.

"Texas authorities agreed to the deal." Trina said.

"Then let's get in there and interview him." Steve said and carefully stood up.

Trina kept close to Steve as they walked to the back where there was a small interview room. Jerry was standing outside the room, looking through the one way glass watching as Otunga spoke quietly with Calaway.

"Texas agreed." Steve told him quietly.

Jerry nodded. "Go on in and talk with him. Maybe he will give us some answers. I'll be watching."

Steve and Trina opened the door to the interview room and sat down across the table from Mark and Otunga. Mark was dressed in his white jumpsuit with his hands still in handcuffs. Trina placed her folders and notebook down in front of her. Steve set a small tape recorder on the table.

Steve pressed record on the recorder. "This is Detective Steve Borden, Officer Trinvilla Conley interviewing homicide suspect Mark Calaway, who is represented by his counsel David Otunga."

"Mr. Calaway, would you like to make a statement? I am sure your attorney has advised you of the evidence we have collected." Trina asked him, looking right into his face.

"I have advised my client to invoke his 5th amendment right." Otunga answered.

Steve nodded. "Mr. Calaway, your DNA has been found inside the mouths of two homicide victims, Renee Young and Lana Barnyashev."

"Your DNA has also been linked to the murder of an unidentified woman in Houston, Texas." Trina said.

"Again, I must advise that my client invoke his 5th amendment right." Otunga said.

Trina and Steve looked at each other. They knew they needed to get Mark to talk and that Otunga was going to be a huge hurdle.

"Mr. Calaway…..I know the case in Texas was why you refused to voluntarily submit a DNA sample to West Virginia authorities when asked. You couldn't risk your DNA being linked to a cold case back in Texas so you made up the story about trying to avoid a paternity test." Trina said, Mark's eyes flashed for a moment but he remained silent.

"This is your chance to tell us your side of things. We have all the evidence we need, I am sure you and your attorney are aware of that. This is your chance to tell us your version of events." Steve said.

Mark stayed silent, leaning back in his chair. Trina decided to try pushing Mark's buttons to get him to talk.

"Look, Mark…can I call you Mark?" she asked and Calaway rolled his eyes. "Mark, I know you have some strange fetishes; some kinks that not everyone is accepting of. I spoke to Sara."

Mark's head snapped up and he glared at Trina. Inwardly she smiled, knowing she had found a way to get to him.

"Tell us what happened." Steve said. Mark ignored him as he continued to glare at Trina.

"What happened Mark? Did the ladies laugh at your weird kinks? Maybe you couldn't get it up with a breathing female anymore." She looked right at him, not lowering her gaze for a second.

"I have nothing to say to you!" Mark roared. Otunga put a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to calm Calaway's rising temper.

"Right now we are all you got!" Steve shot back.

"We spoke with the authorities in Texas. They are willing to offer you a deal." Trina pushed her notes about the deal across the table to Otunga. "You cooperate with us, help us find the heads of Layla El and April Lee and the body of Renee Young….and you help the authorities in Texas find the head of Michelle McCool…..and you confess to any other victims you have killed in the state of Texas and they will take the death penalty off the table."

"I am sure you are aware of Texas' long tradition of the death penalty." Steve told him.

"However, if you withhold information and later Texas is able to conclusively link you to a victim you have not admitted to, this deal becomes null and void and you will be facing a needle in the arm." Trina told him, not backing down an inch. "And I have no doubts that DA Sandow would be happy to let Texas have you, knowing they could execute you."

Otunga looked over her notes and then whispered something to Calaway. Trina and Steve glanced at each other and she felt him gently squeeze her knee under the table.

"I have advised my client to accept this deal….but for murders he committed only." Otunga said.

Steve leaned over to Trina and quietly whispered. "He must have knowledge of other murders, maybe he has a friend with similar tendencies."

"We have already offered the deal, we cannot force him to confess to crimes committed by other people. But it gives us something to tell Texas authorities." She whispered back.

Steve gently leaned forward. "The deal still stands, it has been approved by the DA in Texas and DA Sandow. However, it clearly states any murder he committed which includes any murders he committed as part of a team."

Otunga whispered quietly with Calaway for a moment then looked back at Steve. "Agreed."

"Let's start with why you came to West Virginia. You don't know anyone here and from our investigation you went to great lengths to get a job with that construction crew…even buying pre-paid cell phones and getting someone to lie for you." Steve looked at Mark.

Mark sighed, realizing they truly had dug into his past. "I needed to get out of Texas. This homicide detective, Barry Windham was on to me, he just couldn't prove it. I knew he wouldn't let it drop so I decided to get out of the state….change my name and all."

"Who helped you with the fake references? The companies were real but the phone numbers were for those pre-paid cell phones. Who answered them pretending to be employers and gave you fake recommendations?" Trina asked.

Mark sighed. "A couple friends of mine in Texas. Dan Spivey, an old friend of mine. He had no idea why I was really leaving Texas. I gave him the same story about trying to avoid a paternity test and that I was leaving to avoid the woman. Spivey is an okay guy, he agreed to help."

"Who else?" Trina prompted.

"Another friend of mine, Paul Dangerously…he was willing to help me leave Texas as well." Mark said.

"So you get your friends to lie for you, leave Texas, get a job on the construction crew, and start killing here in WV." Steve frowned.

"If you have these strange fetishes…bondage, violence, multiple partners...whatever…..why not just hire a prostitute? Those girls get paid for their….services and usually do what the customer wants. Or why not just go to a bondage club? Why pick on hitchhikers?" Trina asked.

"I tried that for a while but I was banned from the club I had been going to. I am not a believer in safe words. Then I tried hookers..…started seeing one pretty regularly. Like you said, they do as the customer wants….as long as I had the cash, she went along with whatever I requested….rape fantasies, forced sodomy….anything." Mark said.

"What happened?" Steve asked.

"Bitch gave me the clap." Mark snapped. Trina had to force herself to not roll her eyes at Mark not realizing that wasn't a big surprise. She then remembered the dead hooker from Texas had an STD that was found during her autopsy.

"So the next time you picked her up, you killed her. She is the unidentified woman isn't she? Her autopsy revealed she had an STD." Trina said.

Mark stared at her, then sighed again. "It didn't start out that way….I just meant to rough her up a bit…I was pissed as hell."

"But once you started you couldn't stop?" Steve tried to nudge him along.

"Something like that." Mark said.

"You got off on it." Trina relied on her profiling and her instinct. "Hurting a woman for real was a bigger thrill than one just playing along with a non-consensual fantasy. You found that you enjoyed hurting a female for real more than just pretending to."

Mark stared at her. "I came so hard I nearly blacked out!"

Inwardly she recoiled at such a thought, but refused to let him see that. She stared right back. "That still doesn't tell me why you started targeting hitchhikers?"

"With hitchhikers there was less chance of disease. They just want a ride, they don't expect an attack." Mark kept staring at her.

"So let's go over the girls you killed here in West Virginia." Steve tried to redirect Mark's attention away from Trina. "You found them hitchhiking or needing a ride….all in or around Blackwater Falls Park."

"That's right….that short one, April…she was hitchhiking along the highway. That Russian girl was at a gas station asking for a ride. The curly-headed one…her car had broken down and she flagged me down for help. And that blonde girl…Renee….she said she decided she didn't want to go to the beach and was looking for a ride to a train station." Mark said.

"Okay, so you get the girls in your truck. They trust you to just give them a ride, then what?" Steve asked.

"I'd drive somewhere secluded, none of them even realized there was a problem until it was too late. They didn't know the area." Mark said.

"And then you'd strangle them." Steve stated and Mark nodded.

"Then you would decapitate them and make up the head how you liked and use it for oral sex like some twisted sex toy! Sara told me you had a thing for oral sex." Trina said.

"Fuck, are you like psychic or something?" Mark snapped at her.

"Or something." She deadpanned.

"How did you get the girls into your motel room to decapitate them?" Steve asked.

Mark shrugged. "That was easy, wait until late at night and just carry them in. If anyone saw they must've just assumed I had a date or she was drunk."

"So you decapitate them in the bathtub, easy clean up, drain the blood out in the tub, very little mess. Keep the head, discard the body. Use the head as a toy." Trina said.

"Does anything shut you up?" Mark glared at her.

"Nothing we have found so far." Otunga rolled his eyes.

"How did you discard the bodies?" Steve asked, quietly chuckling that Trina wasn't backing down and that it annoyed Mark that she wasn't.

"The first three were easy, carry it out in a garbage bag in the middle of the night, no one around…..and just toss it." Mark shrugged.

"And the fourth girl? What did you do with the body of Renee Young?" Steve asked.

"I cut her up and threw her in different dumpsters around town. I am not sure I can lead you to where she is, but I can tell you which dumpsters I used." Mark said.

"Why dismember her body and not the others?" Steve asked.

"She annoyed me." Mark said as if that was an explanation.

"So you discard the body, use the head a few days until it starts to decay and then you throw it out as well." Trina said.

"That's right." Mark said.

"Having an oral sex kink is one thing….but wouldn't you rather receive it from someone who is alive and into the act?" Steve asked.

"I think that is enough questions. I wish to have my client examined by a psychiatrist." Otunga said. "He will comply with the terms of the deal and help you find the missing remains of the victims."

"Officer Layfield will speak with him about that later. And you should contact DA Sandow about a psych evaluation. Detective Windham will be calling as well." Trina told them.

"I believe we are done here." Steve said and stood up.

Trina reached over and picked up the recorder shutting it off. She then glared at Mark. "By the way, you are damn lucky he survived his gunshot wound. Otherwise I would've never contacted Texas about a deal to save your sorry ass. You only get to live because he does."

She followed Steve out of the interview room. Jerry was waiting for them outside.

"You got him to talk." Jerry commented. "Quite the team, Trina pushing him and Steve calmly guiding."

"Damn, you had him profiled well and it helped. You really should consider furthering that skill, it's a gift really." Steve smiled.

"You were great, I think the fact you didn't openly act disgusted helped him open up to you as one man to another…in a weird way." Trina said.

"I think you two showed what a great team you really are." Jerry smiled. "I don't think you two working this case was an accident…professionally or personally."

"How are you doing?" Trina checked on Steve.

"I am okay. Just moving slowly." Steve reassured her.

"Take him on home. I will make the calls to Sandow and make copies of the interview to send to Texas and such." Jerry said.

"No, I'll be okay a bit longer." Steve said.

"The doctor said you were to rest a week and you are going to. I will help Jerry as soon as I get back and Seth should be back soon too." Trina insisted. "You shouldn't even be here now."

"Go on, it's easier than upsetting her." Jerry chuckled.

"Okay, Okay…..I know when I am outnumbered." Steve chuckled.

Trina walked slowly with Steve out of the station, knowing that he was still feeling some soreness from his wound. She was proud of all the work he had put in on this case. She made sure he was seated comfortably in the passenger side of her Jeep, then climbed in herself and started the vehicle, heading towards her farm.

"Looks like Otunga is going to try an insanity defense." Trina said.

"Can't blame him. Something is definitely off with a man that gets his kicks from killing woman and admits it gives him intense orgasms." Steve said as she drove.

"I doubt it will work. A lot of serial killers with…strange habits have tried the insanity defense without success. Dahmer, Gacy, DeFeo…of course it has worked enough that it worries me." Trina said.

"I doubt it will work, he knew good and well what he was doing. He was aware enough to take steps to change his identity trying to avoid Windham. He also took steps to avoid being caught here. He is in control of his actions. He even admitted he chooses victims to avoid disease." Steve said. "I am so proud of you."

"I just did what needed to be done." She shrugged. "I couldn't have done a lot of this without you. You helped me not get too involved, helped me stay focused….you have really helped me grow."

"I think Jerry is right…we make a great team." Steve took her hand.

"I think so too." She smiled at him.

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _Story is almost at an end. I am still up in the air about a sequel but leaning towards doing one even if it is shorter. Also have another story in mind. I might do two at once, who knows. LOL But I can't thank you guys enough for all the support while writing this story. It has been such a great time reading reviews, getting feedback and having great story fans. You guys are awesome and I hope you continue to read my writing after this story ends. Paisley2 (Glad I made you laugh!), Batistasprincess (Isn't Karma great? LOL) Debwood-1999 (I am glad you enjoy the humor I sneak in. I have hopefully written it so that if I decide against the sequel there are no loose ends but set up enough that a sequel will be possible.) jcott3 (That was meant to be semi-gossiping but more like Naomi sharing good news of karma. LOL), carlyrosanna1983 (Yay a vote for a sequel!), XoxoShonKV (Yay, another sequel vote), Lordban (Luckily, this time he doesn't.)_


	26. Moving On

July 22nd, 1900 Hours

Trina arrived home after work to find Steve sitting on the front porch swing with Jack laying at his feet. She smiled as she climbed out of the jeep, knowing that Steve was going crazy having to spend so much time resting. Jack ran over to greet her as she walked towards her house.

"How are you feeling?" she leaned down and kissed Steve.

"Not bad, pain isn't as bad today. If I had to stay inside for five more minutes I was going to climb the walls." He said. "How was work?"

"A very long day. Dolph and John took Calaway around to find the missing remains of our victims. They found April Lee's head over in Red Creek off a back road. They found Layla's head in Hendricks near the river. He showed them four different dumpsters around town he had dumped Renee Young into. That garbage has since been put in a landfill. Jerry said he is going to contact the state police about trying to search there but we aren't very hopeful." Trina sighed.

"At least her family will know she is deceased. It would be much worse if they had hope she could return." Steve said.

"Then Calaway and Otunga spent about two hours on a conference call with Windham and the Texas authorities. Turns out there were two more victims there that had never been found." She sighed again. "He is one sick fucker."

"But we got him off the streets, he can't hurt anyone else." Steve offered her the only comfort that he could in a situation like this.

"You're right, just feel so bad for the victims and their families. Speaking of which, Lana is being shipped back to Russia for burial. Poor Dolph is being pulled in every direction right now." She said. "I am glad you are here. Feels nice coming home to you."

"Your friend Naomi called today. She is quite the lady." Steve chuckled. "She wanted to invite us to dinner next week and then proceeded to threaten me if I didn't treat you right."

Trina chuckled. "Sounds like Naomi. When…things went down between me and Joe….Naomi was gonna kill him. Jimmy actually hid her car keys at a Christmas party because she was going to confront him."

"Glad you have a friend like her." Steve kissed her forehead.

"I need to take a shower and then start dinner. You want anything in particular?" she smiled.

"No, I am fine for now. Someone left a huge lunch for me." He winked. "By the way, Sheriff Flair called today."

"What did he want?" she leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"He was just checking in on me. He also said that Mayor Bischoff is very pleased that we have a suspect in custody and got a confession." Steve said.

"I am sure we will be reading all about Bischoff's comments in the newspaper. Speaking of Calaway….Sandow says he will be arraigned on the murder charges next week and the judge will definitely deny bail." She said. "I'm so glad this is almost over."

"A few of the churches in the county are joining together to hold a memorial service for the four women murdered here." Trina said. "All of us from the Davis PD are going to attend."

"I will be there too. I am sure the Parsons guys will be there too." Steve said.

"Is it…..I mean am I too….I don't want to…" Trina struggled for words. Steve stroked her hand to offer comfort. "Forget it."

"Baby, what is it?" Steve held her hand.

She looked up and he could see tears in her eyes. "It's probably stupid, or me being a female…or me being obsessive."

"Trina, you know you can tell me anything."

She wiped her eyes. "It might be weird…but I feel like I need to go to the memorial service…not just because I am a cop and I worked the case….but because I need to say goodbye to these girls. I know it's dumb because I didn't know them….."

"It's not stupid at all. You remember what I told you, the first time I met you at April Lee's autopsy?" Steve pulled her against him and rubbed her back. "Being a professional doesn't take away your compassion."

"But…"

"No buts…this was your first homicide case. Don't you know that we all feel that way about these four girls? We worked very hard to make sure these girls got justice. They became a big part of our life. And as you pointed out, we were all they had for a while. It is only natural that we want to say goodbye, pay our respects and celebrate their lives." Steve kissed her forehead.

"So this isn't me being too involved in this case?" she looked at him.

"Not at all. Do you know how many homicide detectives get emotional about brutal murders and choke up or act as paul bearers? Visit graves? We are only human." He gently wiped her eyes.

"Thank you, I needed to hear that." She rested against him.

"I have been thinking, now that this case is nearly over and things will be slowing down…..when the doctor gives me the all clear, why don't we go away for a few days?" Steve asked.

"That sounds great, I would love to." Trina sat up and smiled.

"We haven't had much time just the two of us." Steve stroked her cheek.

"I know….a few days just the two of us sounds wonderful." She kissed him. "I better go shower."

July 31st, 1030 Hours

Steve held Trina's hand as they walked from his truck to the large Methodist church in Parsons where the memorial service was being held. The place was already swarming with people attending the service and cars were parked in the parking lot and along the road. They could see media set up behind police tape that Sheriff Flair had put up; cameras and reporters that were covering the serial killer case that had come to West Virginia.

"You gonna be okay?" Steve asked.

"Yes, I need to do this for these girls." Trina nodded.

As they neared the church, Steve was startled to see Bray Wyatt walking in as well. He had to look twice, not recognizing him in a dress shirt and pants.

"Trina, Detective Borden." Bray nodded.

"Bray, thank you for coming." Trina let go of Steve and hugged Bray.

"My church wanted to pay our respects to these girls as well." Bray said. He looked around and took a deep breath. "The animals are still uneasy, but you have fixed part of their problem. They will be at peace again before the autumn."

"I….hope so." Trina wasn't sure what to think at the moment.

Bray hugged her again and walked ahead of them. Steve shook his head, figuring he would never understand the strange preacher but knew that Trina was right, he was harmless.

Steve wrapped his arm around Trina as they walked towards the church again. As they reached the walkway in front of the church, they saw the Uso brothers and Naomi standing there.

"Naomi, glad you are here." Trina hugged her.

"I wanted to be here. Most of the county is here." Naomi looked at Steve. "Steve, glad to see you getting around better."

"I am healing quite well. How are the families?" Steve asked.

"April Lee's family is already inside, so is the family of Layla El….Detective Johnson came with them. Some of the college kids from WVU came down to be here for Lana." Jimmy said.

"Renee Young's family sends their thanks and appreciation but says they wish to grieve in private at this time." Jey said.

"I can understand….." Trina started but trailed off as she looked up the sidewalk.

Walking towards the church was the construction crew that Mark Calaway had worked with under his false identity. Glenn Jacobs, Ron Simmons, Skip Sheffield, and Jack Swagger all dressed in shirts and ties.

"Detective….Officer." Simmons said as he reached them. "We wanted to pay our respects to the women Mark killed."

"I understand." Steve said.

"No you don't. We…..we can't believe Mark did this. He seemed like a regular guy." Swagger said.

"And that he was murdering those girls and we never picked up that anything was wrong…..it's a weird feeling. I can't explain it." Sheffield said.

"Nothing he did was your fault." Trina assured them. "Please, don't carry any guilt over his actions."

"Thank you, I wish we could've done more to help." Jacobs said.

"You did all you could. We appreciate that." Steve said. "If you'll excuse us."

Steve took Trina's hand and walked into the church followed by Naomi and the Uso brothers. They walked into the sanctuary and saw four large pictures of the victims lining the front of the church surrounded by flowers. Seated on the platform were Mayor Bischoff, Sheriff Flair, Chief Lawler and several local clergymen. Trina looked around at those already seated in the church; many members of the community that had helped with the case in some way and others that just wanted to pay their respects to four women taken before their time….Ricky Morton, Marty Jannetty, Robert Gibson, Bobby Heenan, Sheri Martel, Randy Orton, Tommy Rich, Heath Slater, Jake Roberts. The murders had touched this entire community.

They found a pew where John Layfield was sitting with his wife, Seth and Dolph. They sat down with them.

"Your girl has had a tough summer. This case was brutal at times." Jimmy whispered to Steve.

"I know. When I get clearance from the doctor, I am taking her away for a few days." Steve whispered back.

August 15th, 1000 Hours

Steve stepped out onto the porch of the cabin he and Trina were staying at and found her relaxing with Jack. She was sitting in one of the rocking chairs reading a book with a cup of coffee while Jack slept at her feet. With the case against Calaway pretty much over and Steve being cleared to return to work, they had decided to come to New River Gorge for a few days. They had rented a secluded cabin along the river.

Mark Calaway had been transferred to the county jail while awaiting sentencing. He had agreed to plead guilty to all charges the state of West Virginia had against him. Otunga's plan for an insanity defense had fallen apart when two different psychiatrists had failed to find that Calaway had any mental disorder that prevented him from knowing right from wrong. Otunga was now hoping to write a book on Calaway when the sentencing was completed.

Dolph had made sure that all the victims and remains that had been found were turned over to the families and given proper burials. Unfortunately searching the landfills had not helped them find any remains of Renee Young.

The construction crew was shocked to find out that not only was Mark the one killing girls in West Virginia, but had murdered women before he joined their crew.

Sheriff Flair and Chief Lawler were true to their word and did not let Bischoff take all the credit for solving the case. Both had given numerous interviews and statements praising the work of Dolph, Steve and the Davis PD. Detective Windham had given similar statements in Houston when he announced the new developments in the Texas cases. Sadly, the hooker Calaway had killed was yet to be identified, but at least now there would be justice for her.

Trina had begun spending more time with Naomi now that the case had slowed down and she was feeling like being around people again. And because the ladies were hanging out, it meant Steve and Jimmy were spending a lot of time together as well and had become good friends as well.

Steve walked over and sat down in the empty rocking chair, making Trina look up at him and smile.

"I was beginning to think you had gone to take a nap." She smiled.

"I might need to later, not sure an old man like me can keep up with you." He chuckled.

"You are not old and you were doing just fine last night." She winked. "You were the one that climbed in the Jacuzzi with me at 3am."

"You climbed in naked and you expected me to stay in bed? Glad this place is secluded." Steve laughed.

"No, I wanted a round two and decided that was the easiest way of getting it."

"You ready to take that bridge walk yet?" Steve laughed. The New River Gorge Bridge stood 876 feet above the New River and was over 3000 feet long. There were tours offered to walk the catwalk beneath the bridge. Seth had been trying to get Trina to go on one since he heard she and Steve were going to New River Gorge, but she absolutely refused.

"Oh hell no, and if you ever wanna see me naked again, you will quit acting like Seth." She rolled her eyes.

"They put you in harnesses, you can't fall!" Steve tried.

"I don't feel like peeing my pants in the middle of one of the most famous bridges in the western hemisphere!" she insisted, making Steve laugh at her crazy way of saying things. "If

you want to go, you can go and I will stay on the banks and take pictures, enjoy the river, whatever."

"Seth wants to do it if he ever comes here."

"Seth also wants me to have a threesome with him and Taylor Swift." She rolled her eyes again. "I say a bunch of us take a trip down here. You, Seth, Jimmy and John go on the bridge walk…while me, Naomi and Meredith take a tour of the museum."

"Sounds like a plan, that is something Jimmy would do." Steve smiled.

"You know….I have been thinking. Bray Wyatt was right."

"That crazy preacher? Right about what?" Steve was confused.

"Bray said the animals were scattering and knew something was wrong. The construction crew was invading their territory and Mark was part of that. In a weird way, Bray was right." She laughed.

"I will just take your word for it." Steve didn't look convinced.

"You know, this summer has not been what I expected at all." She looked at him.

"Me either. I never expected to move to a new place, get a multiple homicide case off the bat, fall in love, get shot and end up being part of the biggest murder case in West Virginia history since the Hatfield's murdered five McCoy's and got away with it."

Trina laughed out loud. "I think they committed those murders on the Kentucky side of the river. I never expected any of this either. And while I wish I had never laid eyes on Calaway….I am so glad I met you."

"Me too. I see now why fate brought me here." Steve took her hand.

"What do you think will happen from here?" She asked.

"No one can see the future. But I think I am going to get to continue watching you grow as an officer…you grew so much on this case. And I think we are going to be just fine. I don't want to be away from you." He told her.

"I think this year I am going to have a good autumn." She smiled.

Steve pulled her into his lap and she curled up against him. Both feeling content to be together and feeling peace that the homicide case that had haunted their summer was over.

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _Well we have come to the end of a crazy journey with this story. I cannot thank everyone who read, reviewed and supported this story enough. You guys have been awesome and you have made this story a great experience as an author. And for those of you who are bummed this story is ending….it is official: there will be a sequel! I hope to start posting it within a few weeks so please be on the lookout for it or I can message you when I begin posting. I hope all of you will read the sequel. Again, thank you so much for all the support and fun for this story. Debwood-1999 (I hope you read the sequel. And hope you are feeling better.) martham73 (Thank you so much. I hope you continue to enjoy my writing.) Lordban (There was an email? I must've tuned out when Michael Cole got up to read it, LOL. You will love the sequel, I got a feeling.) Batistasprincess (You have been an awesome reviewer.) jcott3 (I think you will enjoy the sequel as well. It will have elements that you seem to enjoy and will have some connections to the Calaway case.) Carlyrosanna83 (There will be a sequel. Can't wait to hear your reviews there too.) Paisley2 (I hope when the sequel starts that you keep playing detective!)_


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